Quest
by ilooovejirachi
Summary: A Mage, Swordsman and Wizard are unwilllingly cast onto the same path. However, under the surface of their journey, Len, Kaito and Mikuo are each embarking on their individual quests for love, acceptance, and identity.
1. Prologue

_A blonde man embraced his beautiful wife with golden hair, his green eyes full of sorrow, her bright blue ones filled with resignation as flames licked at them from all sides, singing their hair, burning their skin and tarnishing their royal robes. He cradled her lovingly as both remembered what had taken place only hours ago…_

News spread like wildfire throughout the land. Queen Lily, renowned for her beauty and kindness, had given birth to a baby boy. Both parents were very proud. King Leon was a handsome and just king, with bright blonde hair framing deep green eyes. Queen Lily was gentle and kind, with flowing golden hair and shining bright blue eyes. She was not only one of the rulers of this small kingdom known throughout the land for its beautiful scenery and thriving trade, but also skilled a skilled practitioner of magic: a mage.

The king and queen had specifically invited an old friend of theirs, another mage who specialised in fortune telling. This mage travelled far to arrive at the small kingdom, having journeyed by horse and then boat for months. He was given the honour to bless the newborn.

The old mage approached the then sleeping child and gave his blessings. Then the baby opened his eyes. It was a mesmerising sight: all shades of blues and greens swirled around in a never-ending pit. As soon as those eyes opened the old mage reeled back in shock. He had felt it. A tremendous magical potential lay in the child. It was as if he had absorbed all of the queen's power for, ever since the birth she had barely been able to walk. Nevertheless she still maintained her cheerful demeanour and found great joy in the news.

The mage advised the new parents to find a way to contain all that power, as it was very unstable. He presented to them a magical necklace for their child. It was a clear bauble suspended on some string. The string was charmed so that it would never fray, however the man would not say anything about the bauble, only that the king and queen should cast spells on it so that only their child could wear it. The mage's voice was strained and he looked anything but cheerful which puzzled the king and queen.

Later their friend asked for a private meeting between just the three of them in the baby's room while he was asleep. He explained that he had seen their futures, and it was a grim one. The king and queen listened as their old friend told them of his visions. A powerful mage would come later in the day and destroy the kingdom. From his descriptions, Queen Lily deduced it was an old rival who used to be a friend she had before she married the king. He was a powerful mage blinded by power and sought to destroy all who had previously been more powerful than him. The queen had beaten him in a fight many years before but went easy on him because he was her friend and she was only teasing him. However he had taken it seriously and hunted her, only to be defeated by her hand again and again. Soon she realised he didn't see her as a friend anymore, but an enemy and she used all her strength to take him down once and for all… or so she thought.

From what the mage told her he had come back and was now after her again. He also told them both their lives would be taken at the end of the day. The mage's words were final. Nothing could change their fate. Both royals stayed silent for a minute, taking in the information. Then Lily enquired about her son.

"He can be saved," the mage had said, "you must evacuate all the townspeople and hand him over to a servant. It is for the good of the kingdom."

The king and queen did not hesitate to alert the whole kingdom. Nobody doubted their words, for their mage friend was wise and known for his accurate predictions. However, all feared for the fates of their beloved rulers.

The queen gave a sad smile. "My time is up," she had said, "If I do not deal with him now he will not rest. This is for the good of everyone."

The king refused to leave his wife behind, and the people of the kingdom fled with tears in their eyes, knowing the queen was too weak to win against the powerful mage. The queen took this time to enchant the necklace with the last of her strength, like her mage friend advised her to. Then she decided to engrave the name she had just decided for her son onto the clear bauble of the necklace before placing it back on his sleeping form. The servants to the king and queen were also told to leave, and they did so, however one was stopped by the king.

The servant froze in fear, afraid of being asked to accompany the king and queen in death, however everyone knew no such thing would ever have happened. Then again, the servant wasn't really all that loyal to the kingdom, only took advantage of the queen's gentle nature and hospitality when he was in search of a job. To him, the queen entrusted her dearest son and told him to take care of him. The servant stood in shock for a second. They must have really trusted him! He accepted the child and turned his back to flee, letting a sly smile creep onto his face that the parents did not see.

The queen collapsed from shock and exhaustion. She was still very weak and knew just as well as the others she wouldn't stand a chance against her mage rival. All the terror rushed into her system as she faced the sinking realisation her and her husband were going to die soon. She began to shake uncontrollably, emitting loud sobs. Her husband could only hold her tight and cry with her.

The moon was high in the sky when a figure surrounded by a pulsating black ball of darkness ripped through the gates and tunnelled upwards through the floor. The king and queen were lying, huddled next to each other against a wall, treasuring their last moments together when suddenly the floor was smashed upwards as a figure hurtled itself through the roof, leaving a gaping hole with a clear view of the night sky. The mage had arrived.

All their fears had evaporated as the night wore on, and now the couple were ready to accept their fate, to accept death. The mage threw a writhing ball of dark fire, hitting the wall only metres to their right. The wall collapsed and the flames spread, as if the floor was covered in petrol, yet the king and queen remained unfazed. This displeased the mage greatly as he realised there would be no screams of pain that night, even the towns were deserted. He let a sigh of boredom escape his mouth and charged up for the finishing blow.

The king embraced his wife tight and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

The queen hugged her husband tighter, gave a small smile and replied, "I love you too."

The two took joy in knowing they were together until the very end, and that their newborn would be safe. They both gave smiles of satisfaction as a huge pulsating black mass came hurtling at them at unimaginable speeds, destroying the whole kingdom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hai soz for the wait**

* * *

Kaito Shion was a loyal knight and skilled swordsman of the King, renowned for his efficiency at completing his tasks, for the mysterious air he gave as a result of preferring to work alone and for his striking blue hair. However, today that mysterious youth looked anything but a knight, riding a shaggy chestnut horse and garbed in the plainest clothes. If anything, he looked like a commoner.

The sun was high in the sky as Kaito rode out of the town, the King's latest request circling in his mind. In a far off kingdom, girls of all different ages and backgrounds were being kidnapped at random times. There was no ransom, no apparent reason for the kidnappings, and the girls appeared totally unrelated to each other. Furthermore, according to witnesses, it appears the culprit was the same each time. Though his face was never shown, the methods used were the same. He possessed powerful paralysation and teleportation magic, leaving no trace of his or the victim's whereabouts. The situation had gotten so big the nearby smaller kingdoms had started enlisted help from powerful kingdoms in far-off lands, one of them being the kingdom Kaito served.

The good King dearly wanted to help these people; however he could not risk sending a large number of men over to the other side of the country. Furthermore, the enemy remained shrouded in mystery; there was no hint of his power level, or his identity for that matter. If it was revealed there was a royal investigation afoot, who knew of the dangers that could result in, especially for the kidnapped girls… the investigation would have to be conducted in secret, by one person who was capable, independent and reliable when unsupervised. He didn't hesitate to call Kaito.

That's good and all, but now Kaito had the task of traversing across the country to an unknown kingdom, with only a sack of belongings and a horse that wasn't even purebred to accompany him. No doubt for one who had lived his whole life under royal care it would be a difficult feat. If trouble were to arise he would have no direct way of contacting anybody he knew either. Yet Kaito was brave, loyal and rather bored of life at the moment. He welcomed the challenge with determination and left within hours of accepting the mission.

Looking at the dark clouds gathering overhead he was starting to doubt his decision…

* * *

The sky had darkened considerably since Kaito set out. He had arrived at a small forest, and, having seen no sign of civilisation for hours, was preparing himself for the horrible prospect of having to sleep out in the open. As he was sighing and silently pitying himself, he heard the sound of running water, thankfully not from the sky.

It was lucky he did too, for the clear water marked a path to salvation, a path out of the forest. And as Kaito looked up, there, like a Godsend, was an inn! It was a small wooden structure with two floors. Hanging above the main door was a faded sign, declaring it was indeed an inn. As tempting as it was Kaito couldn't help but feel suspicion that there was an inn out here in the middle of nowhere, right when he needed it. It was situated by a gravelly path, running parallel to the forest edge. Looking on either side Kaito saw no signs of life as far as the horizon.

Raindrops started to fall from the sky, and Kaito's horse gave an impatient whinny, desperately wanting a long-deserved rest in the inn stables. Kaito gave a sigh and, taking another glance at the suspicious inn, thought _to hell with it_ and entered.

By now the rain had started to pour, but in the cosy interior of the inn, Kaito felt distant from it all. It was a small space, with a narrow corridor to the right leading to some rooms, and probably a staircase upstairs. However the whole place looked in need of a good clean-up, with dust on every surface and cobwebs in the corners of the room. In the middle was a wooden counter. To the left was only a door that looked to be some sort of storeroom. It was from this door that emerged a thin man looking to be in his thirties. His face was long and his eyes were slanted. _Like a fox_ thought Kaito.

"Yes, what do you want? I'm the manager." the man demanded in a nasally voice.

Kaito was taken aback by this rudeness but maintained his composure. "Ah, yes, I'd like to stay the night thanks. And I'd also like to borrow the stable for my horse."

"Psh, fine. Whatever." Another rude reply from the man. "Follow me."

Kaito was led outside where he took his horse and followed the man to the stable. Like the rest of the place, it was also badly in need of some cleaning. However the horse didn't mind and proceeded to contentedly lie on the hay.

The man led Kaito back into the inn where he was given his room key. Kaito proceeded up the stairs to his room by himself, not wanting to spend another minute with the dislikeable man. As he set his sack of belongings on the dusty mattress he gave yet another sigh. _My life sucks pretty badly right now…_

Kaito had just sat on the mattress to ponder about various things concerning what to do next when there was a soft knocking at the door. Confused as to why there would be someone wanting to see him he shouted: "Come in!"

The door opened revealing a small child wearing a plain coloured robe that looked far too big. The dress went to the floor and the sleeves were huge. _A girl?_ Thought Kaito. She had dirty blonde hair and was carrying a tray with food.

"Your dinner…s-sir…" she mumbled with a small voice.

"Ah, thank you. Put it over there please."Kaito pointed to a drawer next to the bed.

The girl shuffled over with small steps, keeping her head down. She set the food down and was about to proceed back out when Kaito stopped her.

"Ah, do you work here?"

"Y-yes."

"I didn't know they had room service."

The girl didn't reply.

Kaito pressed on. "How come this place looks so badly managed? And what's with that manager?"

She stood still.

"Excuse me? Hey!" he pulled on her dress and she fell backwards onto Kaito.

"Ah! I'm so sorry-" Kaito froze. The girl had a ring of rope that was connected to each wrist, restricting her movement. The same was on her ankles and her feet were bare.

"What's this?" he demanded but the girl looked away. He turned her head and gasped as he saw her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hai soz for another wait.**

**I was doing...the opposite of procrastinating...**

**kk here you go ^^**

* * *

Those eyes, like a pit of never-ending swirls of colour… they showed loneliness, but also a powerful defiance. Kaito could feel himself falling into them, into a trance…

The girl blinked, and the spell was broken.

Kaito sat dazed for a while, and then his senses came back.

"W-what, hey! What's happening? Is that obnoxiously rude man mistreating you-wha-hey!"

The girl abruptly stood up.

"Nobody's mistreating me," she mumbled.

"Then tell me what's happening!" Kaito demanded.

The girl sighed, and said with a nonchalant look, "If you must know, that guy's actually afraid of me. Hah." And she stalked off without giving Kaito a chance to reply.

The blue haired man sat dazed and more than a little confused on the dirty floor.

"I need to talk to that manager."

* * *

The fox faced manager experienced quite a surprise when a man with blue hair stormed down the stairs, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him into the storeroom, demanding a "private talk".

"Wait, wait, what's all this about? I've got a business to run here!"

"You know damn well there's not going to be any business this time of night. Now I want some explaining. A child came into my room with her hands and feet tied up. You could land yourself in serious trouble if I find there's child abuse going on around here."

"Wait! Wait a minute!" the manager was wide eyed and startled. "I didn't do anything to that kid that would cause any harm. You should be thanking me, the kid's a monster!"

"A monster? What do you mean?"

The manager, now appearing relatively calm, sneaked a look on both sides, then leaned in. "You saw those eyes didn't you. That can't be normal. Letting that monster do whatever _it_ wants will only bring trouble I reckon."

Kaito gave a disbelieving look. "That's ridiculous!"

"No, no it's true! You don't believe me, that _thing _looks harmless right now, and pretty much is. That's 'cause all that dangerous power's been sealed up, and I keep it somewhere it can't reach. That's another reason I tied up its hands, so it can't reach it."

Kaito really didn't like the way this man kept referring to the girl as an _it_, as if she weren't human. If anything, he wanted to leave and forget this ever happened, but his curiosity urged him on. "Reach what?"

The man gave another sneaky sideways glance before grabbing a stool and placing it beside a large shelf. Standing on it, his long, thin fingers reached for the top, grabbed onto something, and then he descended.

"Now make sure you don't tell anyone what I told you today. This here's where all that monstrous power is stored." In his palm was a clear bauble, suspended on a string like a necklace. Kaito reached forward but the man held it away. "Ah, don't touch it. I tried wearing it when I first took it off the kid and all I got was a nasty shock."

The man proceeded to put it back on the shelf. Kaito looked sceptical but didn't say anything.

"So, that's it" the manager said, "Please do not inquire any further."

Kaito hesitated before saying: "So nothing's going to change? Despite this so called 'monster' being only a child you're still going to restrain her?"

The man blinked before replying: "Yes, what else is there to do?"

"I could take her with me," Kaito wasn't sure why he blurted that out. He looked surprised after he said it.

The man was stunned for a few seconds before angrily replying: "Wait a moment sir! Why would I give that monster to you? I didn't take that kid for nothing. I- "

"Wait, you _took _her?"

"Huh, I," the manager was at a loss for words as he processed what he had just revealed. "No, that's not what I mean, the parents, they- they, anyway that thing's a danger to society! That thing-"

"Enough, I've heard enough." Kaito sighed resignedly. It was getting very late and he was tired of listening to this cunning man's excuses. "We'll talk more in the morning. Good night."

The fox faced man said nothing as Kaito walked out of the storeroom, only sat, pondering…

* * *

It was well past midnight when Kaito heard a soft knock at the door. Puzzled, he wearily got out of bed and quietly opened the door.

There stood the girl from earlier, whom that fox faced man had referred to as a 'monster'.

Kaito was shocked. "Wh-what are you doing here? I had a talk with that manager and-"

"I heard your conversation downstairs." The girl interrupted him. She seemed to hesitate before whispering: "Do you really want to help me?"

She looked at him with those eyes, and Kaito found himself wordlessly nodding at her request. Those eyes, it may have been a trick of the light, but they seemed different, full of determination.

"Ok, follow me."

Her small feet made barely any sound as they descended down the stairs. She crept to the storeroom, opened it a crack and looked around before finally entering when she saw nobody. Kaito realised their location.

"Are you looking for your necklace?"

"Mm," the girl nodded. "He took it off me when I was very young, but somehow I know it's important. I know it's not his. I-I think my parents, I think they were the ones who gave it to me."

Kaito nodded in understanding. He reached for the stool, placed it next to the shelf like the manager had done earlier, stepped on and reached over the top. Groping around aimlessly, his hand finally felt something cool and round. He grabbed it, and held it up to the light to examine it closer.

It was a clear bauble, small enough that he could palm it. It was lighter than he expected, after all, it supposedly stored a 'great power'. Kaito then noticed there was something written on it.

"Le-n. Len? Is that her name?"

The girl underneath grew impatient: "Quick! Pass it to me! Let me see it!"

Suddenly the sound of rushing footsteps was heard. Seconds later the storeroom door slammed open, and there stood the fox-faced manager.

"Don't you dare give that away!" It was Kaito's first time hearing the man yell so loud. Shocked, he abruptly dropped the necklace. Both girl and man simultaneously reached for the precious object…

A bright flash of light stunned Kaito and he shielded his eyes with his hands. Amid the expanse of white he could only hear the manager pleading for his life from a child: "No, no…spare me…please!"

As the light faded Kaito saw the two figures. The manager had been thrown back by the blinding light and was now in a sitting position on the floor. The child was standing, almost triumphantly, wielding a large staff. Yet the necklace was nowhere to be seen.

"LEN!" Kaito yelled her name.

The child turned her head, and Kaito gasped. Those eyes, they had definitely changed. What was once a swirling mass of colour had become a flat plain, a smooth transition of greens to blues. Yet they still had that same depth. If anything, it was even more like a bottomless abyss now.

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault!" the manager was now babbling. "Your parents gave you away to me. It wasn't my choice! If I hadn't fled so slow this would never have happened! You monster! You'll be the death of me!"

The child turned her head back to the pitiful man on the ground, silencing him with a glare. Then, Kaito watched as she smoothly wove the staff in front of her in a graceful arc. The manager's eyes were wide, his posture, stiff. Clearly he was petrified of the scene in front of him.

And that was the last Kaito saw of the man. A white shockwave was thrust outwards. The wooden beams of the inn were ripped apart in a huge gust of energy. The floors shook, as if an earthquake were occurring. Kaito could already hear the guests upstairs being abruptly woken up, panicking and making a mad dash for the exits.

Yet he could see only blinding whiteness, and the sounds were far away. That child, who was she? _What_ was she? As his surroundings were gradually torn apart with frighteningly little resistance, Kaito could only stand, shocked.

The wooden outer walls crashed outwards and the roof turned to dust. Soon the only remains of the inn were a few broken beams, some very distraught horses, a frozen blue-haired man, and a blonde child who had collapsed in the wreckage.

Kaito abruptly snapped back to reality. _I have to get out of here before somebody sees me._ Looking around the place was deserted. Everybody had already fled. _How long has it been?_

The sun was already rising. Sooner or later somebody would call in the authorities to investigate this wreck. Kaito started looking around for supplies. He managed to salvage a few clothes and some money. Glad he still had the dagger he always kept on is body as a means of defence, Kaito took note of how little he had now. Hoping his horse had not escaped, Kaito continued through the inn's remains.

"If I remember right, the stable was…that way."

After pushing away a dangerously tall pile of wood blocking his way, Kaito uncovered an unconscious child dressed in what might have once been a robe but was now literally rags.

_Holy crap, it's that girl! Len! How the hell did I forget about her?_

Deciding it was the safest choice for both of them, Kaito made the decision again to take her with him. Following the sound of distraught horses, Kaito finally found the stable. Luckily his horse was still present, and Kaito wasted no time in setting off with his meagre supplies and the girl.

* * *

It was near nightfall when they made it to the next town, only accomplished by some very hard riding. After signing in at the inn, Kaito brought the still unconscious girl into his room.

"Ah, if she's coming with me, she'll need to wear something less conspicuous. Lucky I found some clothes back there. Maybe they'll fit her."

While he was dressing her he silently hoped this inn wouldn't end up like the last one.

It should also be noted that around this time, Kaito realised 'Len' wasn't actually a girl.

* * *

**Yes they're finally outta there**

**Lol it took Kaito a whole chapter to realise Len wasn't a girl while you all figured it out immediately.**

**Hope you enjoyed it ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yo!**

**So I'm going overseas in a few days, and thought if i didn't upload now I never would.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed and story alerted. It means a lot to me :)**

* * *

"So…you're a guy…"

After a night at the inn, Kaito and Len left to continue on their journey. Well, Kaito did. Len's just tagging along because he has nowhere else to go. They had been walking lazily at a sluggish pace through a forest and now it was approaching midday.

"Yeah, so what?"

"N-nothing, it's just why didn't you say so before?"

"There was no need to tell you."

An unsettling silence followed. Kaito was leading his horse while Len walked beside him. Underfoot, leaves crunched noisily but otherwise it was eerily quiet. Rays of sunlight filtered through the green foliage, leaving dapples of light on the forest floor.

"It's getting pretty warm," Kaito broke the silence. "Let's stop for a rest."

Relaxing under the shade of a large fig tree, despite the beautiful natural scenery, Kaito couldn't help by feel unsettled by Len, who was nonchalantly gazing into space, _ignoring _him. It felt worse than lonely. It was downright _awkward_.

"So…" Kaito feebly attempted to start a conversation. Len looked back at him, seeing his multicoloured eyes made Kaito flinch.

"What?" Len demanded harshly.

"Um…about yesterday…do you remember anything? What was the last thing you remember?"

Len put on a thoughtful look. "Mm…I grabbed the bauble, there was a…staff, I think…and…that's it."

"That's it?"

"Yep, that's it. Oh!" his eyes suddenly lit up. "I still have it!" saying so, he reached around his neck and took off the bauble. It remained unscathed from the traumatic events of the day before. It was a clear orb, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and was unmarked save for some carved letters. "Len…is that my name?"

"Looks like it."

"Hm…" he frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Mm, it's just I don't really know who I am. I've never seen my parents, and I didn't even know my name until now. This bauble was supposed to be their last gift to me, that's why it's so important to me."

"I see…"

A thoughtful silence passed by. Then Kaito remembered another item of mysterious origin from the day before. "What about the staff?"

"Mm, from what I remember, it came from the bauble."

Kaito's eyes widened. "What? From that little thing?"

Len grew annoyed. "What? Can't it happen? It happened yesterday. I'll do it again."

He closed his eyes, concentrated really hard and then grabbed the bauble. It shone white, then materialised into a golden staff in front of an amazed Kaito.

"Hah! I did it!" Len waved it around triumphantly.

"Wait, don't do that!" Kaito put his hands over his head, preparing for some massive earthquake or something, but nothing happened.

"What are you doing? Get up. You look silly."

Seeing as the scenery was still in one piece, Kaito begrudgingly stood up with a red face.

"Let's go~, we're done resting!" Evidently, proving Kaito wrong had put Len in a good mood. He sauntered in front, waving around the staff. Kaito trudged behind with the horse.

* * *

After a few hours' walk, Len stopped.

"What's wrong?" Kaito demanded.

"Shush, there are people in front, they'll hear you."

Kaito came up and looked. There was a small clearing where twenty or so men were eating, drinking and partying. One of them noticed him, stood up and approached the pair and their horse.

"Look here! Travellers!" he called, earning many inquisitive looks from the other men. The extra attention annoyed Len. Didn't he tell Kaito to be quiet so they wouldn't be noticed?

"Come! Come! It's getting late, you can camp with us!" Kaito accepted the invitation gratefully while Len's previously happy mood had evaporated to be replaced with annoyance.

"Everyone, we have company!" the announcement was met with hearty cheers from the rest of the men. Kaito easily fit in: eating, drinking and conversing with the others.

"So, Kaito, what brings you here?" without giving Kaito a chance to reply the man went on, "We have been searching for a magical spring!"

"Oh, magic?" Kaito's face was turning red from drinking.

"Yes, yes! A magical spring! And when we find it, we're going to build a hotel here! In this forest!"

"Wow! A hotel in a forest! Sounds like a great idea!"

"Haha! I know right!" the man took another gulp of alcohol, then dropped down drunk.

"Hah, what a funny man!" Kaito laughed then approached another one. "Hey there, tell me about this magic spring you're looking for!"

"Ah, you're that traveller." The man was much older, and sober. "Yes, you must have heard from the others. We've been looking for a magic spring, and we believe we've found it."

"Really?"

"Yes, that's right. But…"

"But?"

"Well, we know where it is, but we can't uncover it."

"What do you mean?"

At this moment, Len, who had been sitting by himself, playing with his staff and being unsocial, decided to come over and bother Kaito. "Oi, I'm bored."

"Len, I'm busy. And my name's not 'Oi', it's Kaito."

This further pissed off Len. "Hmph, whatever. I'm going for a walk then."

Once he had left, Kaito turned back to the man. "Sorry about that, he's a bit of a brat. Please continue."

"Ah, that kid should be careful. A forest at night is dangerous."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

* * *

Len had walked a fair distance away where the sounds from the camp could not be heard anymore.

"He's not coming after me. What a jerk. It's not like I _wanted_ to follow him in the first place. He should be more responsible."

He trudged onwards. Even at night the forest was silent. There were no animal sounds at all. Only the steady _crunch_ of leaves underfoot as he tread on.

"Hm, what's that? A house?"

In the distance, the trees cleared, leaving room for a large mansion. There was not a light on, it looked abandoned.

"What's a house doing in the middle of a forest?"

Curiosity led him on, past the grotesque silhouettes of bare trees and up to its dusty front door. He pushed it and it opened with a creak. Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was how dark and dirty the place was. Cobwebs gathered in every corner, and the tables and chairs were coated in a thick layer of dust.

The next thing he felt was the presence of something, but when he looked back there was nobody there. Suddenly there was movement. He jumped and dropped the staff. From the moonlight flooding in from the doorway he saw a large shadow, being cast from a figure above the doorway.

He looked up and didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

Kaito was intrigued by the story. "So you know where the spring is, but you can't get to it?"

"That is correct. Some way ahead there is an abandoned mansion. Our sources say the spring should be around there. The easiest method is, of course, to get rid of the building. It's falling apart and nobody lives there anyway."

Kaito nodded, "Yes, go on."

"But whenever one of our men goes near, something strange happens."

"Strange? Like what?"

"Well, one time a group who went early in the morning came back paralysed, another died of poison. Then the first few times someone went in to investigate, they never came back. We don't go near anymore but we don't know what to do. It's very important we find the spring as we were ordered to by the king. So we can only sit here and plan. Lately some of the younger ones think it's a holiday. They're partying every night and our supplies are running out."

"I see." Kaito had sobered after hearing the tale and now got up. "I'm going to look for Len."

"Be careful."

"Thank you. I will."

The conversation had caused Kaito to worry. _I hope Len's alright_. It seemed only natural he was subconsciously searching for the mansion, and it wasn't long when he found it.

_God, that place looks creepy_.

The front door was wide open. Something glimmered inside. Kaito gulped. He ran straight for it. As he bent down, he saw it was clear, it was round, and it had Len's name engraved on it.

* * *

**thank you for reading :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**:3**

* * *

The mansion was eerily quiet.

Kaito felt like an intruder as he carefully stepped past elegant furniture, albeit thickly layered with dust. He grimaced as he saw his footprints clearly marked on the ground. No doubt the soles of his shoes had taken the dust clean off the floors.

He made his way to a grand flight of stairs, all the while softly calling out Len's name. The stories from the hot spring diggers kept him on guard, wary and alert.

"Len, are you there?" his voice echoed hauntingly up the stairs.

Suddenly the railings began to move, causing a startled Kaito to fall backwards. A skittering sound was heard as some creatures made their way around the banisters and upstairs:

Spiders, the size of Kaito's hand. Their eight-legged forms fled into the shadows, and they disappeared behind the cover of darkness.

Kaito shivered. He wasn't afraid of the spiders, but they were so large, and there were so many. He thought he could see more of them hiding in the many shadows, and he thrust his hand inside his pockets for comfort.

He felt something cool and round.

_That's right. I still have to find Len._ He gripped the bauble, hoping it would give him strength, and made his way upstairs.

* * *

The second floor was just as dark as the first, and Kaito could feel himself becoming paranoid, being surrounded by shadow. He warily gazed about the doors in front of him, and a silver thread caught his eye. Curious, he approached it and bent down to grab it.

It was white, and sticky, like some sort of gum. He found that it extended all the way to the other side. Standing up, he reached for the doorknob and he slowly opened the door.

White was all he could see.

Sticky white threads covered a vast room, extending to all corners. The furniture had been tightly wound up, like a cocoon, and as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness he could see, clumped together here and there, more spiders.

Then he realised, what the white threads were: webs, spider webs.

And propped up against a sticky white sofa was a mop of blonde hair.

"Len!"

He was unconscious and didn't respond, however something else did.

"Hehe, we're getting a lot of strange visitors lately."

From the back of the couch a woman with short brown hair appeared. She smiled tauntingly with blood red lips, her equally red eyes fixed on the intruder with blue hair.

Kaito was stunned for a moment, seeing her silky hair, mischievous twinkling red eyes, and her huge bust, only half covered by a red fur coat. Staring at her in awe, he almost forgot how strange and out of context it was for a woman to appear in a place like this.

The woman's smile turned into a smirk, revealing two sharp fangs, and as she made her way over, Kaito felt his awe gradually turn into horror.

A furry, stick-like leg stepped over the sofa, followed by another, and then another. The blue-haired swordsman's eyes widened with each leg that appeared, until he felt sure they were going to pop out.

The creature, Kaito could not bear to call her a 'woman' anymore, stepped in front of Len. Six long, spindly legs supported her as she bent over to stroke his face. Kaito flinched when she spoke.

"Hmm, haven't had someone this young here before. Maybe I'll play with him a bit before I devour him." Her lips formed a sinister smile.

Kaito couldn't believe his ears, and she said it so casually too. He took out his dagger from a belt around his waist and raised it at the creature while she was still distracted with Len.

"Let go of him!" he yelled as he aimed the dagger at her, however she was swift and kicked him with a spidery leg before he got to her, disappearing a second later.

"What? Where'd she go?"

A childish giggle seemed to reverberate around him. "_I'll play with you first then._"

He felt a presence above him leaping to the side just as she pounced, scattering a group of smaller spiders. The mansion seemed to tremble with the force of her jump. Dissatisfied, she growled menacingly.

Kaito took this chance to stab her again, but he found himself stabbing air instead.

_Damn, she's too quick._

A thick white thread splattered onto his hand, and he felt himself being pulled to the ground as his dagger was snatched.

"Heh, I didn't know you could fight." The spider creature was back on the sofa, _his_ dagger in her hand. She smirked menacingly. "Catch!"

Kaito barely had time to dodge as his own dagger came flying at him, zooming past and missing by mere millimetres. It audibly embedded itself in the wall. Kaito gulped.

The creature giggled like a little girl. "_Catch me if you can~_" and she was gone again, hidden behind a white curtain of thread.

Kaito made a run for his dagger. Spiders scattered all over the place. Just as he was about to grab it a weight pummelled into his side, sending him sprawling.

"Haha, no cheating~"

Kaito grimaced. Did she think of it as a game?

This time he successfully freed his dagger before she attacked again. He leapt to the side, did a roll and stood up.

_This isn't working. She's too fast, I can't attack her at all._

She got up and cast him a taunting glance, but was gone in another second.

Kaito stood in the middle of a room like a trapped mouse. He closed his eyes.

_I don't know where she's going to attack from. What should I do? I can't keep dodging forever._

From a corner in the room, behind a cluster of cobwebs, the spider creature looked onto her prey. _He's going down with this next move_. She grinned as she took aim.

Kaito felt her coming from his left, however he made no move to dodge. He opened his eyes and pivoted to meet her face on.

His dagger stabbed at flesh at the same time he felt an unbearable pain course through his arm. Blood splattered onto him, staining his face and clothes. He removed his dagger, wincing at the pain. A body dropped to the floor, blood gushing out from where he stabbed her in the neck. Her legs gave a final twitch before settling down for good. Glassy eyes clearly revealed she was dead. They were the same colour as the pool she lay in.

Kaito panted hard as he made his way over to Len. He looked down at his throbbing arm. There were teeth marks. She had bitten him, and where her fangs entered his flesh were two bloody pits. Finally, exhausted beyond measure and feeling light-headed, he collapsed.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :3**


	6. Chapter 6

"Mr Kaito! Mr Kaito, sir! Please wake up!"

"Ngh…"

Kaito slowly opened his eyes. The lush green leaves of the forest trees entered his vision. Filtered sunlight seeped through as the morning greeted him.

"Sir! Thank goodness you are awake!" The speaker was the young man Kaito had been conversing with the night before. His red face was painted with worry, as were his other companions. Kaito realised he was back at the camp.

"Kaito! You are finally awake! How are you feeling?" An older man inquired.

Honestly he felt terrible. His head felt like it was being hammered into, he could feel bruises from the brawl last night all over his body, and where the creature had bit his arm last night there remained a searing pain. "I'm just fine" he lied with a smile. "Where's Len? Is he alright?"

"Alright enough to have carried you all the way here last night!" the younger man said, all traces of worry having evaporated upon knowing Kaito was alright. "Boy, he was huffin' and puffin' the whole way. Speakin' of huffin' and puffin', the camp doctors were working on you all night. They're restin' now but you really gave us a scare. What happened, by the way?"

"Ah, it's a bit of a long story, and I'd like to see him first, if it's alright."

"If you feel up to it, he's sulking in the corner over there."

Kaito got up, feeling the consequences of last night course through his body. He winced and almost fell back down, but managed to stagger himself over to his blonde companion.

"Hey," greeted Kaito.

Len gave him a sullen look but didn't say anything.

Kaito crouched down, though it hurt like hell to do so. "Come on, Len. We're all fine now. Cheer up."

However the news seemed to cause even more distress for him. Without a word, he quickly got up and ran off.

"Hey, Len! Wait!" And Kaito followed suit, as he thought he should have done earlier the night before.

The young man who had been chatting with Kaito saw the whole thing and made to chase after them, however an elderly man stopped him. It was one of the camp doctor's having just gotten up from a long deserved nap.

"Please do not go after them. Let them have some time to themselves."

"What, what do you mean?" The young man demanded.

The doctor seemed to hesitate. "He…that blue-haired fellow does not have much longer to live…"

* * *

Len ran aimlessly, he didn't care where he was going. He needed to run, to get away from the commotion of the camp. How they could be so happy and cheerful while he was feeling like this…it really irked him. His legs burned with a steady pain; he was getting tired. Probably didn't get enough sleep last night with worry biting at him for Kaito's safety despite the exhaustion from carrying him back to camp.

Kaito…just thinking about him made him want to cry. The idiot, if he hadn't followed him…if only he hadn't followed him… if Len hadn't run off in the first place…

The tears came. Last night, when he woke up and saw Kaito, it felt like his heart stopped. He saw the corpse of the creature that had attacked him, and started shaking like a leaf. He had mustered up the courage to carry Kaito past the creature, out of the mansion and back to camp. The camp doctors were up the whole night tending to him. Len couldn't sleep knowing Kaito's critical state, and the knowledge that the whole thing would not have happened if it weren't for him running off constantly haunted him. Then, as dawn broke, one of the doctors came to him with bad news. Kaito had been badly poisoned from the wound on his arm, and did not have long to live.

He felt awful, and suddenly everything seemed so futile. Carrying him the whole way, enduring a sleepless night only to realise how worthless it all was, saving a man doomed to die from the moment he had fainted.

The tears blurred his vision and he ran faster, feeling he deserved the ache in his legs. Finally, when he could run no more, his heavy panting became sobs. He sat down by a tree, wallowing in his own sorrow. _Idiot…he's such an idiot…I'm such an idiot._

Before him was a small pond, framed by lush green ferns, but he couldn't enjoy the beauty of it. He leaned against the tree, feeling all the exhaustion from the night before finally come over him. As he gradually closed his eyes, he thought he saw something rise from the water, but he was too tired to care.

* * *

Kaito's legs hurt even more than Len's. In fact, his whole body complained against the strain they did not deserve after the events of last night. Kaito silently told his body to stop whining, and then mentally chided himself for talking to his own body parts. _I must be going crazy._

Fortunately for him, Len was getting tired, and had also slowed down considerably. Nevertheless, Kaito found he still could not reach him. They ran through the forest, golden leaves being kicked up behind them. The greenery suddenly thinned, and Kaito saw a tall wooden structure.

_Holy crap, it's that place again._ The mansion retained its creepy look, even during the day. Despite there being no more danger within its dusty walls, Kaito still hesitated.

Len, on the other hand, appeared to take no notice, continuing on, into the thick forest that had started up on the other side. Giving only a moment's hesitation, Kaito steeled himself and pursued.

* * *

The trees were densely packed, leaving little room for sunlight. It seemed as if a large blanket had covered Kaito's world, it was so dark. It was damp, too. The ground here was not covered in golden leaves, but soil. Multiple large fern leaves whacked him in the head as he tried to make his way through.

Suddenly, a small ball of light made its way past him, startling him. _A firefly? _As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw several others were floating around as well, shedding some much needed light on the forest floor. Kaito was grateful for they prevented him gaining any more unnecessary injuries from stray ferns.

Pushing past an abnormally large leaf, Kaito was met with a sight that dazzled his eyes, especially after being in the dark for so long. Tall white trees grew here, reflecting the light, and at their bases sprouted even more lush ferns, encircling a crystal blue spring. The light seemed to be emitting from a being in the centre of the water, and as his eyes were forced to adjust yet again to the change in brightness, he realised another oddly familiar figure…

"Len!"

The first figure turned around, a woman with porcelain skin. Coral pink hair fanned around her in the water, appearing to emit an ethereal glow, and Kaito was entranced. Yet looking at those soft blue eyes, he knew she wasn't an enemy. She cradled Len as if he was something fragile, and with one hand, she silently beckoned him over with a slender, elegant finger.

As Kaito approached the sacred spring (he was absolutely certain by now it was magical), the beautiful woman made her way to the edge. She gently handed over the boy, but then she unexpectedly brought her arms around Kaito. Blushing madly, he didn't realise how strange it was that he didn't feel the slightest bit wet despite her having just emerged from the water, though he did feel all his fatigue and pain suddenly melt away, as if washed and cleansed by a gentle rain.

Smiling softly as she retreated, she whispered in a voice like trickling water, "Take care of him now, he's been feeling neglected." Saying so, she produced a crystal clear bottle, small and slim enough for her to hold it between her thumb and second finger. "Take this too, and keep it safe."

Kaito wordlessly accepted the small gift, and the woman submerged, appearing to melt into the water's surface. The light slowly disappeared as multiple fireflies emerged. Soon the magic spring had faded into darkness and even the plants around seemed to lose their radiant glow of beauty. Leaving the sacred glade, Kaito felt unbelievably healthy, and happy, but seeing the spring that was planned on being exploited, he also felt uneasy.

* * *

Upon emerging back into the camp, Kaito was met with the joyful faces of men who had experienced success. Everybody was drinking in broad daylight, cheering and singing songs as if they were throwing a party. Setting Len down, he enquired what was happening.

"Kaito! We've done it! We've found it! The spring!"

Kaito felt his heart skip a beat, but was confused as he didn't recall seeing anybody the whole time he was gone.

"It's amazing!" cried another man. "We had sent men to go search for you, planning to retreat as soon as the dreaded mansion came in sight, but just on the edge of the forest, hidden away behind some large trees, we found it!"

"The magic spring?" asked Kaito. That wasn't right, if he remembered correctly the magic spring was in the forest beyond the mansion.

"Nah, just a plain ol' spring. Nothing magical about it, but we're glad all the same. With this, we can build a hotel right on the plains. I'm sure if we dig there, we'll find more water underground. We'll finally get rid of that dilapidated ol' building, and use the whole lot of that land to build a hotel, or maybe even a bath house depending on what we find near that spring!"

"And what about the forest beyond the mansion?" asked Kaito.

An older man spoke: "We haven't explored it yet, but I don't think there's any need to. There's plenty of land after destroying the mansion-"

"Enough to build a resort!" interrupted another young man, already red from drinking.

Kaito gave a sigh of relief, glad everything would work out alright.

"Hm, that's funny," he overheard one man's conversation to another. "I swore we've explored that area countless times before, but I've never seen anything that looked like a spring there."

"Who cares!" exclaimed another, also pretty close to dead drunk. "We can finally go home! Our job is finally done!"

Kaito too, couldn't resist smiling and laughing along with the other happy people, and as they partied hard in the day, Len slept on soundly, finally able to rest.

* * *

"Now young man, let's give you a check-up."

The doctor was hesitant to cast any bad news upon the cheerful travellers, already knowing the results of his analysis. He was surprised the blue-haired youth had been able to sustain for so long, but was certain he would not last much longer.

_Better to tell them now rather than letting them find out the horrible way later._

Strangely enough, as he checked on a hyped-up Kaito, he realised something rather shocking: "Good God! A miracle has occurred! I can't believe it!"

Waking up Len and drawing the attention of almost all the men in the camp (save for the fainted drunken), he continued: "My good man, how this has happened I will never know! All traces of the poison have disappeared from your body! It's shocking but you're going to live!"

Saying so, a huge cheer erupted from the whole camp.

"I'm _what_? I was going to die before? And nobody told me?"

"That is correct. But all's fine now. Let's drink to celebrate!" Another cheer of agreement arose.

Kaito, still slightly shaken at the sudden news, decided to sit with Len. Strangely enough, Len started talking first.

"I…I'm sorry for running off last night…"

Kaito smiled. "I forgive you. Nothing bad happened in the end, right~?"

Len seemed quiet for a long time, and Kaito thought he had dropped the conversation when he suddenly spoke again in a voice so quiet Kaito could just barely make out the words.

"I…I'm glad you're s-still a-alive…"

And Kaito absolutely beamed and hugged him. He felt he had finally broken some of the ice between them, chipped a hole in his emotional shield.

"That's right. I'm alive, and we'll continue our adventure tomorrow."

* * *

**Yay I updated ^^**

**How was it?**

**Next chapter I plan to introduce Mikuo~~**

**Thanks for reading ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

"And I believe this is yours," a cheerful Kaito extracted a bauble necklace from his pocket before mounting his horse.

"Yep, thanks for keeping it safe for me." Len had taken his place behind the blue haired man and eagerly took back his treasure.

Kaito beamed as they set off. Since the events of the night before, Len had definitely opened up to him. After seeing him finally smile at him for the first time Kaito felt unbelievably accomplished, and after the most beautiful night's rest, they set off feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

The chestnut horse started off at a brisk trot, which quickly transformed to a gallop as it was free to run for the first time in days. The party soon disappeared over the hills.

* * *

"Hey, hey, Kaito! Tell me more about your life!" Kaito had decided Len was definitely a chatty one, though he wouldn't have ever thought that a week ago. Nevertheless, he was glad to oblige, and glad to have someone's company for once.

"Well, I live and work in the palace for the King. I'm a swordsman." He held up his dagger for emphasis.

"But that's not a sword," objected Len. "That's a dagger! I know that much."

"Well, that's true. I lost my sword that day in the inn. It got buried under the rubble."

"What rubble?"

"You know, the rubble from the inn you destroyed."

"Huh? When did I destroy an inn?"

"You know! You had that staff and all, and you totally blew the whole inn apart."

Len tilted his head and tried to think. Really hard.

"…Nope, don't remember."

Kaito sighed. "Whatever, I give up."

* * *

The horse had slowed down to another trot.

"…Kaito,"

"Yeah?"

"My head hurts…"

"…Stop thinking about it."

"Ok…"

* * *

"…Kaito,"

"Yes, Len?"

"I'm hungry…"

The horse also whinnied.

"Shut up you two, we're almost at the next town…"

A stale wind blew across a dusty ground. It howled through the cracks between and within rows of dilapidated houses. There was no sign of life.

The town appeared completely deserted.

"…well, this is awkward…"

Len and the horse glared at Kaito.

"Len, you're having a bad influence on my horse! Look how sassy it's acting! It's never been–"

"STOP! THIEF!" a man's booming voice seemed to shake the very foundations of the fragile housing.

"Aw crap, they spotted me."

"Hurry up and get on, stupid!"

A small shack a few metres away from the group started shaking, then suddenly an explosion burst forth, reducing the thing to flames.

A mop rose out of the remains and into the sky, two figures sitting on it. One of them gave an evil cackle before the mop zoomed off, leaving a distraught looking man gaping wide-eyed at what used to be his house.

"…ok, what the hell just happened here?" Kaito couldn't believe his eyes. "Whoa! Hey! Sir, are you alright?" He jumped off his horse and made his way over to the owner of the house.

The man turned his head around slowly, his eyes appeared devoid of life. "M-My house…they burnt down my house…" Kaito glanced around awkwardly. Frankly, he wasn't used to dealing with people, having done most of his assignments in the past alone and in secrecy. "Sir!" the man was now on his knees, practically begging. "Sir! Please! I beg you! This has to stop! We need help!"

"Um, well…"

At that moment, the door of another house on the opposite side flung open and an old man ran out. "Look, they're willing to help us!"

Kaito took a step back. _That man shouldn't be running around like that at that age. Also they seem to be over-exaggerating things a bit…_

"Sir! Are you really willing to help us?" another man had burst out of another house down the street.

"Um …"

"Really?" a little girl called out from the dusty window of another flimsy house. "Mummy! The strange man says he wants to help us!"

_The hell, this place _is_ populated!_ He was finding it harder and harder to refuse the offer with so many people looking at him with such hope in their eyes.

"Horse! Len! Get over here!"

* * *

"So, what's the situation?"

"We have thieves," the elderly man and self-proclaimed mayor began. "They often come and steal our supplies."

"And they use magic!" cried the little girl.

"We are defenceless against them," sobbed the girl's mother. "We are afraid to let our children outside to play."

"We are forced to stay indoors to guard our supplies."

"You saw the damage they did!"

Somehow, the whole town community had gathered to discuss the situation. Len and the horse were busy consuming a meagre meal. Food was scarce and they townspeople gave it away unwillingly. They were all sitting in the dust, the discussion hall having been blown away by a gale a few months ago.

_This is ridiculous,_ thought Kaito.

"Alright, we'll help you. Where do we look for these thieves?"

The townspeople gave a cheer.

"They live at the very back of the village," said the mayor.

"You'll know it's them because there's a huge circle of nothingness around them," explained the little girl.

"And they say nothing ever grows there, because they're evil people!" a much younger boy chipped in.

"Yep, okay, got it. We're off." Kaito grabbed Len, who had finished his meal long ago. "That sassy horse can stay. We'll walk."

* * *

"Well, that didn't take very long to find…"

They were standing at the edge of a barren land encompassing a circle of a few metres diameter. In the centre was a neat-looking little cottage with white-washed walls and a red roof. As the pair moved closer it seemed to be shaking.

"YOU IDIOT WHO TOLD YOU TO BLOW UP THE WHOLE HOUSE? YOU EVEN BLEW UP THE FOOD WE WERE GONNA STEAL!"

"Yep, sounds like them. Let's go in." chirped Kaito.

"Hello, anybody home, sorry for intruding~" shouted Len as he opened the door.

"Oi, Len, didn't you hear them, of course they're there."

A girl and boy were standing facing each other in a quaint living room. The girl was in a black cloak with a knee-length dress underneath. A pointy black hat was on her head. She was bending over, attacking with a torrent of words while the boy had cowered until he was almost sinking into the floor. Both were garbed in black.

"Soz sis, um…looks like we have guests."

The girl immediately straightened up and took off her black hat, two large teal-coloured pigtails cascading down to the floor. "Welcome to our home!"

"Hey! Are you the thieves the townspeople were talking about?" enquired Len.

_Wow Len, blunt much?_

"Yep! That's probably us! Is that what they call us? That's mean. Oh, and you are so cute~"

The hyper girl then proceeded to chase Len around the house.

_This is getting even more ridiculous by the minute…_

* * *

"Yeah, sorry about my sister, we don't get a lot of guests coming in so she gets kinda lonely…"

"I see…"

"Yup, he's right. I'm Miku and he's my little brother Mikuo. Nice to meet you."

"Erm, yea, nice to meet you too. I'm Kaito and he's Len." Len was squirming as Miku was pinching his cheeks. Mikuo shot Kaito an apologetic look.

"So sorry about my sister, again…"

"Mm, that's ok. He likes attention too. Anyway, I really wasn't expecting this kind of reception from a bunch of thieves."

"We're not thieves!" Miku huffed angrily. Len winced as she pinched even harder. "Don't call us something dirty like that. We're witches!"

"Witches?"

"She likes to think that." said Mikuo. "In truth, we're just a bunch of people playing with magic."

"Then the stealing?"

"We're just borrowing ingredients!" insisted Miku.

"Yeah, borrowing permanently and never returning…" mumbled Mikuo.

"What was that Mikuo? Come here you little runt." Miku released Len and proceeded to attack her brother.

"Then what was that explosion a while ago? Where you blew up a whole house?"

"That was Mikuo's fault~" sang Miku. "My stupid little brother accidently blew up someone's house while conjuring up an escape spell. He blew up my beloved broomstick too, so we had to steal a mop…grr" With each word Miku got angrier and proceeded to pinch harder.

"Eh, then you're not really evil people huh," started Len. "Then why isn't there anything growing outside?"

"Huh that?" Miku stopped pinching for a second and Mikuo took the opportunity to escape. "Damn, he got away. Well, that was an experiment from the great me."

"She saw a cockroach, got scared and released a whole lot of spells. Now the whole area's barren, nothing will grow on it at all." Mikuo whispered to Kaito.

"And the cockroach?"

"Gone to a better place."

"Mikuo! Don't tell them that!"

"Sorry siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!"

While the siblings continued to run around the house, Kaito and Len looked on with some amusement.

"So…now what?" asked Len.

"Mm, we have to tell them to stop stealing," replied Kaito. "Hm, what do they use the ingredients for anyway?"

"What do we use them for?" Miku had stopped chasing at some point and sneaked in to eavesdrop. "I'll tell you–no–I'll show you! Come on Mikuo! To the basement!"

* * *

"So we add some flour, a bunch of eggs, a whole bottle of milk…" Leaning over a cauldron with her black cloak, pointy hat covering her face, Miku really did look quite threatening.

_Wow, she really is like a witch…Hang on, aren't those ingredients–_

"Voila! It's done!" Miku revealed her creation with a flourish. "With a light spongy base, deliciously creamy chocolate, the most fluffiest, melt-in-your mouth whipped cream, and to top it off a delectable strawberry, cut to perfection, it's my best masterpiece yet! It's–"

"…a cake" finished Kaito.

"Hehe, wow it's delicious," Len had already started to eat. "This is really something."

"Of course!" gloated Miku. "_I_ made it after all!"

"Wait, what is that? I thought she would use _magic_!" Kaito cried out in disbelief.

"The hell? If you wanted me to use magic you should have just said!" retorted Miku, busily digging into her own cake. "You asked what the ingredients were for!"

Kaito facepalmed.

"She loves her cake." Mikuo explained.

* * *

"Ok, time for some _real_ magic." After getting the boys to clean her 'cauldron',Miku was ready to put on a show. "Now, behold!"

The witch grabbed three flasks of different coloured liquids in each hand, and with some fancy movements, ended up tipping the whole thing into the cauldron. A burst of pink steam erupted. Len started to clap in wonder.

"And now," Miku grabbed an empty milk bottle, filling it to the brim with the liquid. "I tip this in here…" the concoction was tipped into an elegant ebony black pipe. "Shake it around, and!" She blew into the pipe.

A pink gas escaped and gradually changed shape.

"Flowers!" cried Len.

The gas had changed into a multitude of pink flowers. Soon the whole basement was covered.

"Oops, made too much~" sang Miku as she perched on a shelf, avoiding the sea of flowers.

"Wow that was amazing!" a mop of blonde hair popped out from the mass of pink.

"Grah! Miku! You made too much!" Mikuo also emerged.

"What kind of magic trick is this?" The blue-haired man had been blown to the basement stairs.

"Well," huffed Miku, "at least someone's happy. Mikuo! Clean this up!"

"What? But siiiis!"

"Just kidding~ I'll help~"

* * *

"Okay! Now I'll show you something even better!"

"Oh no not another one," moaned Kaito. Mikuo too hung his head in defeat.

"Hmph, at least Len appreciates what I do." Miku had just prepared her cauldron yet again and was busy mixing ingredients. "Now-YAAH!"

The basement walls started to shake. Miku fell over. Flasks containing various potions started to fall off the shelves.

"Goddamnit Mikuo! Catch them!"

* * *

The precious flasks had been saved but the walls and floor continued to vibrate. The group headed up and out to investigate.

"The hell–?" Everyone was left speechless at the site. The plains outside of their barren circle were all on fire. In the distance people's cries could be heard above the roaring flames.

"The town's on fire too!"

"Oh no, this is terrible, what happened?" Miku was shaking.

"Wait, something's coming," said Kaito. His hand instinctively went to his dagger.

In the distance, rising above the burning town, a form was heading towards them. A streak of purple trailed behind, as if it were a meteor.

"Look! It's the girl from the town!" cried Len.

A hooded figure was carrying the unconscious girl in the air. Upon arriving at the barren land it slowed down and began to descend.

"Crap, it's coming towards us!" shouted Mikuo.

Miku took out a vial from within her cloak and threw it at the intruder. It exploded upon impact, shrouding the forms in smoke.

"Wait Miku! The girl!" However Kaito's pleas were unheard.

Miku's eyes narrowed. "It missed!"

She reached into her cloak for another weapon against her opponent, but was too slow. The figure raced out of the smoke and collided straight into Miku.

"Oomph!"

"Miku!" cried Mikuo. He reached out to her, but found he couldn't. "W-What? I c-can't move!"

"C-Crap!" Kaito and Len had also realised their situation.

"What did you do to us?" Kaito demanded.

The figure made no move to answer. Turning around, Kaito saw, slung on both shoulders, were the two girls. Miku was unconscious.

"Bastard! What did you do to my sister!" Mikuo was struggling and straining for his limbs to move, to do _something_. He felt so powerless, unable to do anything but watch.

The hooded figure ignored them all. "I didn't think there'd be a sacred area like this immune to my fire…"

Len's eyes widened. "So you're the one who set fire to the town!"

The figure turned slowly to face the speaker. Seeing Len, he gave a smirk.

"Those eyes…that power…so much like hers…" he rasped.

Len and Kaito both gave a start.

"Like who's?" Len cried. "Are you talking about my mother?"

The figure said no more on the matter. "Let us meet again, in the near future." And in a blink, he was gone, leaving no traces of himself, or the two girls he took with him. The trio fell to the ground as they felt themselves finally free of the paralysis.

"N-no…" Mikuo stumbled. "T-this can't be h-happening. Miku! MIKU! MIIIIIKUUUUUUUU!"


	8. Chapter 8

The town was eerily quiet. The flames had disappeared, and all Kaito could see left of the townspeople were hollow shells devoid of joy. Blackened by ashes and sporting multiple burns, they already looked in a bad enough state, but it was their eyes that freaked him out the most. They were empty sockets of hopelessness. Black pits with not a spark of light. _Or life._

By the time Kaito, Len and Mikuo had made it back to town, the flames had been put out by the combined work of the townspeople. Yet after the initial fear had died down, the people had attained similar appearances to the ruins among them: charred, blackened and lifeless. Even Mikuo, overcome by shock and grief of losing his sister, was silent and did nothing but trudge meekly behind the other two males.

"…That bastard, what has he done…" Len muttered under his breath. It was the first time Kaito had heard him regard someone else so viciously.

The swordsman found himself unable to do anything but apologise to the people. "I'm sorry, if only we had come earlier…" He received no reply.

Suddenly, amidst the rubble of a charred house came a wailing sound. Kaito was immediately alert and raced to the source. Len followed, hindered only by an unwillingly Mikuo who wanted to do nothing more than sulk.

The wailing got louder. Kaito had rescued a badly burnt woman from the rubble. Her eyes were wide and from her blackened lips was only a constant wailing. She looked close to death.

"You'll be alright miss, calm down." Kaito tried to soothe the woman, but was startled when black trails started to trickle down her cheeks. The woman was crying.

"My daughter…" she continued to wail. Realisation hit the males. She was the mother of the kidnapped girl.

"L-Len, quick! I think she's unstable from shock or something. She-" the woman wailed even harder. She clutched at Kaito's white shirt, staining it an ugly grey, and Len could do nothing but watch with wide, fearful eyes. Soon the wails ceased altogether, and with a mournful scream she collapsed to the ground.

"L-Len, come help h-her-"

"It is no use." The quivering voice of the town mayor spoke for the first time. "She has passed on."

A heavy silence hung in the air. The elderly man gave a shaky sigh. "I think…it is best for you to go. We will take over things from here."

"But sir, you're all wounded-" Kaito tried to object but was interrupted.

"Silence, this is none of your business." The man gave his sternest look. Kaito saw the pleading look of desperation in his bloodshot eyes, and said no more. The mayor gave another mournful sigh. "If you really want to help," he gazed where Mikuo had collapsed to his knees again, and Len had proceeded to try to get him to his feet, without any success. "Take that boy there. We don't need any more trouble from those thieves." He spat out the term, but there was a softness to tone. Mikuo and his sister were, after all, people of the town, albeit outcasts.

Kaito gave a stiff nod, and the mayor was finally able to display a ghost of a smile. "Thank…you. I might just take a little nap now…" saying so, the elderly man fell to the ground. Kaito gave a startled jump, fearing he had met the same fate as the woman, but seeing the peaceful smile on his face, and the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was put at ease.

_Right, time to take our leave. These people don't need us to bother them any longer._

"Len!" he called to the younger boy. Len acknowledged him with an irritated expression.

"The guy won't move, and I don't have the strength to move him."

"I'll deal with him. Go find our horse, I'm sure he's got enough spunk to survive."

Len obliged and Kaito crouched down to Mikuo's level.

"Mikuo, can you hear me?" the other male made no reply. Kaito sighed. "Look, I know it's hard but if you want to do anything about it, you have to move on. Come with us, we're all searching for the same person. Well, I am, not sure about Len…" Thinking back, Kaito remembered Len's reaction to the mysterious kidnapper's words. Did those two have some kind of connection?

Mikuo had not moved from his position, even as Len came back, leading their chestnut horse. "I found him on the outskirts of town, eating some grass while the fire raged. You're really something, you know that?" Len stroked the horse's mane with a small smile.

"He's alright then?" Kaito asked with his back still turned to Len, struggling for some response from the depressed male.

"His leg's a bit burnt, which is why I wasn't riding him, but otherwise he's fine…"

"Ah, I knew it, he's always been a tough one huh. Hey Len, help me with Mikuo here. He's coming with us. Len, you listening, Len?" but Len had been spacing out and wasn't listening to a thing the blue haired male had said.

"…Hey Kaito…"

"Mm?"

"…I was thinking…That woman, she looked so sad after losing her daughter…" Len's eyes suddenly became clouded, shards of green and blue dancing wildly, as if in confusion, "…do you think that's how my mother felt when she was separated from me?"

Kaito remembered back to their confrontation with the kidnapper. He had spoke about Len being so much like "_her_". Was he talking about his mother?

Sudden movement caused Kaito to lose that train of thought and glance back to Mikuo. The guy finally moved, and even more amazing, he was getting up by himself.

"Whoa, be careful Mikuo, don't push yourself."

The boy remained silent as he got to his feet. Kaito, too, regarded him without a word. The teal haired little brother of the witch couldn't have been much older than Len, and already he had witnessed such a tragedy. The town he had been living in had been heartlessly put on fire, and his only family member had been abducted before his own eyes.

"…I'll just grab some stuff first…" Kaito was surprised. Mikuo was finally able to get up, and even willing to come with them. He didn't do anything when Kaito tried to talk to him.

_Was it Len?_ The younger blonde had mentioned being separated from his mother. Just like Mikuo being separated from his sister…

Kaito, Len and the horse waited outside the little cottage as Mikuo made preparations. He didn't bring much, only the bare necessities, a cloak, much like his sisters, and a big book. Both of the other males decided not to question him at this time.

They wordlessly continued out of the town, and away from the recent tragedy that had befallen.

Mikuo did not look back even once.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you sooo much for putting up with my laziness ;A;**

* * *

_The birds had stopped chirping and all was silent save for Mikuo's pained groans. The attackers had completely surrounded them, Mikuo was injured, Len was unconscious, and as Kaito gazed hopelessly at their surroundings he felt an overwhelming sense of despair…_

* * *

Their journey was proceeding much smoother than Kaito had thought it would be. Mikuo had finally gotten over the initial shock, and had come to a solemn understanding that no matter how much he cried his sister was not going to come back. He must have seen the negative effect his brooding had on his new companions, and made every attempt to absolve himself from all negative thoughts. _It's alright. These people will surely help me._

Len's general curiosity assisted him in accomplishing this aim. When questioned about the huge book he brought along as one of his few possessions, Mikuo had replied with a wry smile: "it's sorcery."

Yet the incessant questioning that followed prevented Mikuo from dwelling any longer on thoughts concerning his sister. The younger boy seemed to possess great interest regarding magic. Remembering his joy at his sister's own little displays of witchery, he could understand why.

"Then, can you use magic?"

The question seemed to amuse him. "Yeah, sort of. I'm not as good as my sister though." He paused, as if contemplating his next words. "It's strange you should ask this. Generally it's the girls that have magic power in my village."

"I can use it too." The bluntness of the answer, as well as the apparent casualness he displayed at revealing he had skills normally attributed to the opposite gender, surprised Mikuo.

"You seemed so surprised at Miku's performance though."

"Yeah, 'cause I've never seen that kind of magic before. My one's different. Here, I'll show you my magic wand." Saying so, he grasped the bauble around his neck, which shone a blinding white before morphing into a golden staff. The crystal bauble on the end seemed to shine a million different colours under the sun.

"Haha, wow, that's pretty cool. By the way, that's a staff, not a wand. There's a difference."

* * *

As the two magic users chatted away, Kaito rode on contentedly in front. The pace was slow due to Chestnut's injured leg (Len was so attached to the animal he gave it a name), however it was peaceful and quiet, save for the occasional chirping of a bird. With nothing better to do, he mused.

The two back there had gotten along very well. Initially he had believed Mikuo would be a sulking mess the whole way, and Len did more than his fair share of brooding at first as well. Yet they seemed to draw life from each other. Len had not had a decent conversation in his life before meeting Kaito, and Mikuo was an outcast in his own village. Kaito, himself, was a bit of a loner. They were all isolated in different ways, yet all equally craved companionship…

Suddenly, Len's stomach growled.

"Ehehe, Kaito, can we stop? I'm hungry."

Mikuo also smiled sheepishly.

"Hm? It's not that dark yet though." Kaito replied, then changed his mind as he felt his own stomach protest. He had to admit, the food provided by Mikuo's village wasn't very filling. "Ok, we'll stop after we pass that tree. I think I see a clearing."

* * *

The clearing was a grassy patch of land and, though not very big, there was plenty of shade from trees and large rocks. Len had remarked with some excitement that it felt like a secret base, enclosed on all four sides by dense foliage, and only visible from the sky. Kaito smiled and brought out the food. There wasn't much , however the fruit from the trees should more than make up for it.

While crunching on an apple, Len suddenly said, "Hey Mikuo, show me some of your magic."

"What the-? I'm eating, Len."

"Doesn't matter. Show me your book. Teach me something easy."

"…alright." Truth be told, Mikuo had never had an eager audience for his displays, and it excited him that Len was so interested. He lugged the massive thing from his sack and flipped to one of the first pages. "I'll do an instant growth trick."

Len watched, expecting a wave of a wand and a dramatic poof, so was surprised when instead, Mikuo reached into the folds of his cloak and produced a tiny bottle. He did not voice his thoughts though, watching the teal-haired magician focus on his spell. Drops of the green liquid were poured onto the grass. After sealing the bottle, the older boy took a deep breath as he produced his wand, a simple wooden stick. He tapped the damp area, and a small red flower instantly grew from the soil.

"Wow!" Len's eyes lit up. That's so cool, what was in the bottle?"

"Magic ingredients" was Mikuo's ambiguous answer. He gave another sheepish smile. "Actually, I can't use real magic. My sister can. She makes reagent bottles for me which are imbued with her power. This wand too," he waved it for emphasis, "is actually a carved tree branch that my sister cast a spell on. And this book," he flipped it closed. The title was in an unknown language, "This book just tells me the order for the spells, for the magic to work."

The authenticity of the process did not matter as much to Len as the result. "Ah, so that's what your sister did!" He remembered how the witch had poured in ingredients from flasks into a massive black cauldron. "Hehe, it's like cooking."

Mikuo smiled. "Yeah, I guess our magic is a bit like cooking. Sis does it 'cause it saves her magic power." Seeing Len was still gazing in admiration at his flower he continued: "Would you like to try?"

Len beamed. "I'd like that."

* * *

"Don't add too much. There's not much in there. Yep, pour it slowly, like that. Now get your staff."

Len's staff emerged in a flash of white light, and he held his breath as the crystal end lightly made contact with the grass.

For a while, nothing happened. Then suddenly, a twisted green stalk barrelled out from the soaked ground like a drill. Sharp rugged leaves shot out, almost cutting the boys.

"Holy- I don't think that's supposed to happen!" Mikuo's eyes were wide with shock and fear. He warily gazed at his companion. "Len, Len? Are you alright? Len!" only then did he realise, Len's eyes had changed…

* * *

_Those two have become very close_. Kaito had been continuing to ponder as he saw the magicians well, making magic. The joy on Len's face as he observed the rapid growth of the red flower was like a breath of fresh air after the previous tragedy. And Mikuo…as he thought of the other boy's rapid positive psychological change he felt a smile form on his own face. Wow, smiles really are contagious.

"LEN!" Mikuo's frantic shouting broke him out of his reverie. He turned to the source, and his face was drained of all colour when he saw a massive ball of spikes twice his height.

"Holy crap, is that a flower?"

Blood red petals extended from a deep green stalk. Sharp leaves served as a gruesome decoration every few centimetres down the mass of green. Kaito realised with horror the knife-sharp petals seemed to be still growing, reaching beyond its nest of green. They looked like they were ready to drop, quivering with bloodthirsty excitement.

"Oh god, Len! Mikuo! Watch out!"

As if his words were a trigger, the red suddenly sprayed in all directions as the petals shot off the stem like mini rockets. With a yell, Kaito ducked behind a rock as the knife-like objects whistled past at an incredible speed. Deadly sharp, he flinched as another rock nearby was audibly sliced in half.

A sharp cry of agony caused the blue-haired man to tear his eyes back to his companions. Mikuo was on the ground, clutching his leg. Len had not moved, standing still in the same position as if in a trance. The red spikes had not touched him.

The initial danger was over, yet the dangerous objects still quivered where they had been embedded in the soil, a reminder of their near death experience. If one of those things had pierced their hearts…Kaito did not want to think of the consequences.

"Mikuo! Len! Are you ok?"

"Does it _look_ like I'm ok?" Even with the sarcastic retort, Mikuo was unable to hold back a wince of pain.

"What about Len?" The younger boy was of more concern to the man, who felt a foreboding sense of déjà vu. "Len?" He gave the blonde a little shake, and with an incoherent mumble, Len collapsed onto the ground.

"Len!"

"Uh, I think he's alright. He's still breathing." Kaito realised Mikuo was looking a little pale. The red that had started to pool from his wound was quite worrying.

Kaito took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Y-yeah, you're right. Len will be fine. Moreover, Mikuo, I think we should treat tha-"

The man suddenly stopped talking, yet Mikuo's questions were silenced with a finger to the lips.

"Shh…" Without any other movements, Kaito's sapphire eyes scanned the surroundings. Yes, he could see them. Eyes that glinted in the darkness of the trees. Weapons hidden behind rocks that gleamed in the light.

"We're surrounded." Mikuo had noticed by now, too.

Both men felt their hearts dropped as they saw the glint of steel-tipped arrows. They were going to attack at the same time from all directions. There was no escape.

_We're done for_ was Kaito's last thought as the arrows were released and he was suddenly enveloped in a bright green light…

* * *

**Thank you for reading ;v;**


	10. Chapter 10

Happy birthday to a special reviewer :)

* * *

…_Am I dead…?_

Kaito hesitantly cracked open his eyes. He was stunned to find he could only see green. It was as if he was standing in front of an emerald wall that completely enveloped his field of vision. If this was Heaven, he had to admit…he was rather disappointed.

The blue haired man quickly scanned his surroundings, and was shocked to find Mikuo and Len were still here with him. Len was still on the ground, unconscious, and Mikuo was clutching his bleeding leg, eyes scrunched up in pain. The wall extended all around them, acting as a three-sixty degree protective barrier.

_So they haven't noticed yet_. Kaito felt his eyes beginning to adjust to the strange new light, and saw the barrier walls were slightly transparent. Littered outside, were sticks of different lengths. He noticed the distinctive glimmer of metal, and his eyes widened with disbelief. They were arrows, snapped into pieces and strewn haphazardly around, outside the green walls. In the distance, barely emerging from the trees, were their attackers. The visuals through the green screen were hazy, but he could tell there were a _lot_ of people.

_How the hell did we survive? Unless we're all dead already._

He saw one of the men hold up a shaking finger. It seemed to be pointing at him. No, it was pointing to the space a little bit in front of him. Kaito snapped his head to the front and squinted. He could make out a figure, seemingly camouflaged by the green. It seemed human, with arms, legs and slightly messed-up hair. Though what disturbed Kaito most of all was the fact it was only the size of his hand…

…and it had wings.

The figure turned around, revealing pale skin and huge emerald eyes. With a tilt of its head it sent him a small smile.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

And with that, the green shield vanished and Kaito found himself back in the grassy plain, back in familiar territory. Rocks and trees surrounded him, soft grass swayed in the breeze underfoot…Suddenly he saw more glimmers, right by his feet.

_What is that?_

Bending down, the man pried apart blades of grass to find crystal clear shards.

_Glass?_

Kaito froze. His suddenly realised his pocket felt lighter. Reaching into it, he felt around for something he had forgotten about the past few days. It wasn't there anymore. The bottle. The small bottle that beautiful woman had given him was gone. He stared at the glass shards on the ground, then at the petite creature floating-no, _flying_- in front of him, and felt something unwillingly click inside him.

_Goddamnit, I knew that woman wasn't normal._

He was convinced by now. Back in that cursed forest, when he left the hot spring diggers to find Len, he had seen her with him. Flowing pink coral hair, soft blue eyes…a being, too beautiful to be human…

_They must be angels…_

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a million bows dropping to the ground. Their attackers had surrendered. A tall man, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward. His hair was short and cropped, and he was very, very large. Plain clothes bulged against layers of muscle, and his eyes were grey and cold. Though everyone had already dropped their weapons, this man was definitely powerful, and Kaito was convinced of this when he made an announcement in a strong, booming voice.

"Magicians! We challenge you to a one-on-one battle!"

_Yes! They surrender-wait. WHAT?_

The situation was not what he had expected. Kaito gazed around hopelessly. Their 'magicians' did not look ready to fight at all. They looked like they should be in a hospital.

The blue-haired man drew a deep breath, steeling himself. He drew his dagger, causing his opponent to raise his eyebrow.

"I'll take you on."

It had been a while since Kaito had been in a fight. He was a powerful force back in the kingdom, and often sparred with the other knights. He always rose on top, however, up until now the blue-haired man had never been in a true one-on-one fight. Yet he knew he was ready. He had to be, this was what all those years of training were for. He knew he lacked experience, but he made up for it in skill and agility. But his opponent looked strong and healthy. The man was many years his senior, and he had the experience that came with being leader of such a large group. He would not be an easy man to beat. Kaito gulped as sweat trickled down his temple. The more he analysed his opponent, the more credible losing seemed.

Kaito's eyes hardened. But there was no choice. Even if he wasn't strong enough, even if his chances of winning were slim, he was going to fight. For the sake of his friends, he absolutely could not lose. A strange look overcame his opponent.

"No, we will no longer fight."

_What?_

* * *

The group were escorted to a large campsite a while away. They had to climb a mountain, and Mikuo had finally fallen unconscious on the way. He and Len were being carried by two gruff-looking but silent males. Kaito walked awkwardly between them, like a prisoner. His pride had dwindled, but he was somewhat glad he did not have to fight the man who led them. He glanced up at grey clouds. They were bruised, just like his ego.

The trip had taken them into the early evening. They stopped when they reached a flat plan, however Kaito noticed the mountain continued higher. It was like a resting spot halfway. There were as many tents as there were rocks here. The injured were taken to a large tent that acted as a hospital. Kaito and the leader, whose name was Big Al, sat right outside. Kaito attempted to keep a nonchalant face on as the little flying creature from the bottle was buzzing about his head like a fly. Even worse, it could _talk_.

"Hey there. I'm Gumi. I told you this on the way here but you seemed preoccupied, and didn't seem to be listening. Like now. Are you even listening to me? Anyway, Ms Luka has sent me to guard you. But I'm not a guardian angel, I'm a fairy! Pretty cool, huh? By the way, this mountain is so-"

_Does she ever shut up?_

Kaito ignored her (she seemed too human to be an 'it'), concentrating on Big Al's words.

"We are a tribe of men who oppose magic."

"Why is that?"

"Magic corrupts people. They become so overwhelmed by power they turn on their comrades. Weapons, on the other hand," Big Al held up his wooden bow, polished and gleaming in the sun like a prized possession. "Weapons, they are trustworthy. They will only give as much power as their masters choose to use."

"Hm, but if you guys never use magic, how do you know they are corrupting forces?"

Big Al shot him a glare that sent shivers up his spine. "Do not question our values, stranger. We have good reasons, and will tell you in due time. However," he nodded his head at the medical tent behind them, "Your priority should be your own companions. They are magicians. We saw them use dangerous magic. You were almost killed too."

Kaito flinched. "B-But, that was an accident. Len didn't mean to. Well, I mean, we're not sure-"

"There are many here who would rather kill them right now, while they are weak and vulnerable." Big Al's interruption had shocked Kaito speechless. "They are only alive because of you."

"M-Me?!"

"You show courage, and bravery. And most importantly," Big Al paused dramatically. "You do not use magic."

"What? What's that got to do with anything? I-"

"Be quiet fool. You have no right to speak like that when we hold your comrades' lives in our hands." Kaito swallowed his words with a gulp. Big Al was _scary_, and seemed even more so against the foreboding backdrop of grey clouds. The taller man continued: "normally, we would kill such magicians with no hesitation." Another gulp. "However, we will make an exception in this case."

Kaito gazed warily. When such things happened, there was usually a condition.

"We will be engaging in battle soon."

"Against magicians, I presume." Big Al gave him a look that told him to shut up for the rest of the conversation or else.

"The opponents are fierce, powerful, and extremely proud."

Something flashed in the distance.

_Proud?_

"Fighting them will be no small feat. However, you possess courage and bravery."

_Again with the courage and bravery crap. Don't they have any guts of their own? How am I any different from them?_

Big Al suddenly stood up, glared down at Kaito and extended his hand.

_Uh oh, I don't like where this is going._

A dramatic boom of thunder seemed to pierce his ears.

"Young man, for the sake of your comrades, you must join us."

Then the first droplets fell.

_Crap._


	11. Chapter 11

Piercing green eyes opened in the gloom of a canvas tent. Mikuo bolted up from underneath scratchy blankets. Emerald orbs gazed warily around. The room was dark and small and he seemed to be lying on an old mattress. Worse, his leg was throbbing like mad, as if the blood was trying to escape the tightly wound, dirty bandages.

Suddenly, he heard breathing. The sound reverberated around the tiny space, causing the teal-haired boy to shiver. The walls seemed to close in on him. Goosebumps ran up and down his arms. Where was he?

A cough caused him to jump. His head shot to his right, eyes wide and panicked, heart hammering madly like a startled rabbit. His breathing slowed down when his eyes landed on a familiar figure.

It was Len.

The boy's golden hair was tousled and appeared damp. The skin of his arms appeared too pale in the dark tent. Len gave another cough.

"Len, are you alright?" Mikuo crawled over to the boy, his leg still too weak to move about freely.

"M-Mikuo. What happened? Where are we? Where is Kaito?"

Mikuo's face scrunched up in deep thought. What _had_ happened? He remembered being on a grassy plain, eating apples, showing Len some magic…

_Oh God_. He remembered. A magic spell gone wrong, a giant grotesque flower, piercing needle-like petals, and searing pain.

Mikuo clutched his leg and winced.

"M-Mikuo!" Len got up. "What's wrong? What happened to your leg?"

Mikuo gazed up at Len in disbelief. Did he really not know what he had done? Len's face revealed only worry and confusion. Those multicoloured orbs danced in the limited light.

"Len, do you not remember what happened?"

The boy creased his brows. "We had lunch, and then…you showed me some of your magic. And then I wanted to try, and…and then…"

Mikuo's gaze was hard and accusing.

"…I can't remember."

Mikuo slumped back onto the mattress on his side and sighed. Was he faking it? He doubted it. Len didn't seem to be that kind of person.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Now Len crawled over to Mikuo, anxiety etched everywhere on his face. "Mikuo, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it, Len. It's nothing. I'm going to get some sleep now." Mikuo's rejection left Len feeling even more lost. Uncertainty weighed down on him like a pile of bricks as he retreated back to the scratchy blanket.

* * *

_Mikuo seems so mature, I can never understand what he is thinking…_

* * *

_Len's not as he seems. I've got to be more careful around him…_

* * *

A flash that lit up the whole tent shocked shocked Mikuo out of his half-asleep state. He panted heavily, having just escaped a horrible nightmare.

_Miku…_

A low rumble seemed to emanate from the earth, and suddenly a deafening crack sounded in the sky. Mikuo felt like his ears were going to be ripped off. The noise was deafening and echoed menacingly around the tiny room. Sinking under the covers, Mikuo felt so vulnerable. His whole body shivered as he yearned for a comforting presence…

The bright lightning was like a whip, shocking the very recesses of his skull. Len clenched his teeth and tightly squeezed his eyes together. Swirls of black and purple danced before him. The rumbling thunder seemed like a low-pitched evil chuckle. He started to whimper as traces of a recurring nightmare haunted him. Or was it a terrible lost memory?

His body froze as he felt a touch on his shoulder. His breaths became shallow, breathing became difficult. In the distance he thought he could hear the stampede of feet and muffled cries of innocent people…trying to escape…

"Hey, Len…" The spell was broken by a familiar voice.

"M-Mikuo?" Len's voice was hoarse, as if he had been screaming. He turned around just in time for another flash to light up the room. Mikuo's silhouette seemed to wobble and for a second Len thought he was becoming dizzy.

Then he realised Mikuo was shivering.

"Mikuo, what's wrong? Are you cold?"

"N-not, really." The teal-haired boy winced as thunder rumbled in the distance. "It's just…" The crack of thunder and lightning seemed to tear the sky in two. "LencanIsleepwithyou?"

"W-what?" Mikuo's breathing had sped up, and Len's eyes were wide as saucers.

"W-wait, Len. It's not like that." Heat rushed into Mikuo's cheeks. "It's just that, when I'm frightened by the th-thunder, Miku was always there to comfort me…" His words faded away as his face became redder through embarrassment.

A particularly loud burst of thunder caused both boys to wince. Len opened his eyes to see Mikuo shaking like a leaf. Wordlessly, he shifted to the edge of the mattress and lifted the blankets, inviting the other boy in. Mikuo gladly complied.

* * *

As soon as he was under the covers, Mikuo gripped onto Len's waist and squeezed. Hard. The smaller boy felt his breathing quicken. _How did Miku survive this?_

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed. Mikuo squeezed even tighter and Len felt his vision blacken for a moment. A horrible feeling overwhelmed him. It felt like death.

Len took his chance as soon as Mikuo's grip slackened after the rumbling had died away. He roughly pushed the teal haired boy away.

"M-Mikuo!" Len gasped. "There's something I have to tell you…"

When the next bout of lightning lit up the tent once more, Mikuo could see Len was shaking.

"I…I'm afraid of thunder too."

* * *

Each boom of thunder became more deafening and frightening. The two boys were soon gripping onto each other for dear life. Sweat was rolling down their temples and their hearts were beating like drums.

Suddenly, lightning shone to reveal two huge shadows upon the wall. Both boys immediately gave shrill screams of terror which rapidly rose in pitch and volume as the wall suddenly tore apart, revealing the terrible intruders…

"…Just what are you guys doing?" A small fairy pulled apart the flap of the medical tent entrance to witness two injured patients gripping onto each other and screaming at the top of their lungs. The aforementioned patients had silenced their irritating voices by now and were staring at her, wide eyed and shivering.

The second intruder entered right behind her, blue hair dripping wet. "Hey guys, awake already?"

* * *

Bright rays of sunlight brought colour back to the mountainous area that had been previously engulfed by gloomy rain. Raindrops glistened on the emerald leaves of mountain plants which had sprouted forth from the cracked earth. With the neverending blue sky having finally returned, it seemed everything was right once again.

Unfortunately, it was not so.

Mikuo and Len were sullen faced as one annoying fairy buzzed around their heads, continuously taunting them.

"Wow what a bunch of sissies. Don't think even I could have managed to scream that high. Haha, wow, what is _wrong_ with you guys? Afraid of lil ol' me?"

"Gumi! Stop bullying them!" commanded Kaito. The fairy gave one final smirk before flying back to Kaito who gave a weary sigh. "So guys, how are you feeling?"

"Perfectly fine."

"Like a pile of crap."

Gumi burst out laughing at Mikuo's statement. "Haha, you look like one too!"

Mikuo's hair was tousled and messy, his face red and drenched in sweat. In comparison, Len's complexion had returned to normal, and aside from his hair (which was always messy anyway), seemed completely healthy.

Kaito gave another sigh and shook his head in disbelief at the rudeness of the fairy. Weren't they supposed to be gentle, elegant creatures? He stopped his wandering mind and suddenly became serious.

"Len, Mikuo, you guys are in danger. These people really hate magic and would have killed you unless I help them in an upcoming war."

Mikuo gulped. "War? Against who?"

"Against…Mages."

"…"

Kaito was glad the two didn't appear too fazed by the news. He took their silence as his cue to continue.

"Big Al, that's their leader, wants to train me. I figure it will be a great way to improve my skills. In the meantime, I want you guys to stay out of trouble." The blue haired man gazed at his two companions. "Remember this place is dangerous for you guys. I don't want any of you to be hurt any more than you already are." He automatically glanced at Mikuo's leg.

Len saw the worry on his friend's face and tried to smile reassuringly. "It's ok Kaito. We won't get into any trouble. Who do you think we are?"

The boy's words only made Kaito feel more uncomfortable as he recalled all the troubled he _had_ gotten into. He couldn't help but look back anxiously as he hesitantly made his way to the training grounds.


	12. Chapter 12

Len awoke to a scream of agony. True to his word, after parting with Kaito, the boys had gone straight off to bed to nurse their wounds. As much as he would have loved to avoid any further trouble, Len could not just simply ignore this strange occurrence. The blonde shot straight up in his bed, eyes alert and ears pricked for more unfamiliar sounds of distress. There it was again. Tearing through the air like a sharpened knife. As the boy climbed off the scratchy mattress of the hospital tent at the warriors' camp, his ears continued to ring.

_Who is making that noise?_

Len glanced about the room but only saw empty beds.

Then he realised Mikuo was gone.

* * *

On the other side of camp, near a grassy field dotted with rocks, a different ringing could be heard: the clang of steel on steel. Blades clashed together, fighting for dominance. The two lone figures on the grass emitted auras of power.

Despite the cool dew underfoot and the weak sunlight, Kaito's face was dotted with beads of sweat. His opponent was none other than the leader of Warriors, Big Al. Despite his size, the older man was agile, fleet-footed and a fast thinker. The blue-haired knight found himself blocking ninety-per cent of the time as his opponent barrelled towards him with all the power, build and ferocity of a wild bear. The knight grunted as blow upon blow rained down upon his practise sword. His fairy, Gumi, sat on a rock by the sidelines, anxiously watching the battle.

Only minutes later, the chipped and cracked blade came apart with a final strike. Kaito was left dumbfounded as Big Al pointed his sword against his vulnerable opponent. Never had the blue-haired man been defeated so completely. It was utterly humiliating.

Kaito bowed his head and took deep breaths to calm his erratic heart. Meanwhile Big Al sheathed his sword with a victorious grin.

"You did well, Kaito."

Kaito thought otherwise as he glanced at the crushed sword by his feet.

"You are speedy and can think on your feet," Big Al continued. "You only lack skill. This, I am able to teach you."

Kaito remained silent.

"Let us go back to the camp. We shall have a short break before resuming our training."

Kaito wordlessly complied. Gumi knew enough to read the atmosphere and stayed silent for once.

* * *

"Mikuo!" Len saw his companion walk into the tent from outside. "I finally found you! Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

Mikuo replied with a puzzled expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just went out for some fresh air."

"What about your leg?"

Mikuo was shocked at the boy's concern. "It's fine. It still hurts but I can walk without limping now."

"Oh, I see. That's good." Len gave a small smile. Mikuo became confused at the sight of it. He had gone out to have a long, hard think, and get some fresh air while he was at it. What happened only mere hours ago was not a dream. He had his leg injury to prove it. Yet right now, the blonde haired boy seemed a totally different person. Mikuo had concluded that Len could definitely be dangerous. His magic was powerful; he had much more power than any mage his age should have be capable of. That such a being was capable of being concerned for others, seemingly unaware of their own potential, was what scared the teal-haired boy. Len's actions from the incident have not corresponded to his behaviour anytime else. Perhaps his power was one that could not be controlled, that escaped the grasp of his own consciousness…

Mikuo could only take comfort in knowing that the Len right now was somebody he could probably trust.

Then he heard a scream.

"W-what was that?"

"I-I think it's coming from over there." Len pointed to another tent a few metres away. "Let's go find out!"

* * *

Big Al returned to camp with a foul feeling. On his return from helping Kaito train, he had been approached by a messenger with an urgent message. A scout had returned from the magicians' camp with a strange and incredibly painful injury. As the leader, he spared no time to rush over to one of the numerous medical tents, planning to attend to the needs of his own men before his own.

What he found there was a gruesome sight.

A huge red lump throbbed angrily where it was positioned on the patient's lower calf. It was almost the size of Big Al's palm, a scarlet monstrosity that had latched itself like a parasite onto his subordinate's limb. Surrounding the massive lump were several smaller yellow bumps that swelled and popped periodically like a group of balloons. Each pop was subsequently followed by a resounding scream of agony. The victim's face was red and sweaty, breaths rapid and strained. His forehead was a mass of contorted stress lines. Big Al could not help but grimace at the painful sight.

"What has happened here?" he demanded in his deep, booming voice of authority.

The tent's doctor, a thin man with greying hair, stepped forward and explained the situation in a raspy voice. "This man has just returned from scouting the enemy territory. When he arrived he was limping and had to be supported by another."

"What of your diagnosis?" Big Al inquired.

The small man hesitated. "W-We, we are not sure of that, sir." At Big Al's questioning look he continued: "There are only normal doctors and nurses here. This appears to be an act of witchcraft, perhaps a trap set by those mages…"

The doctor's voice faded away and the tent fell silent as all heads turned to see the camp's own two mage visitors enter the tent. Len and Mikuo gazed about warily, all too conscious of the glares being sent their way.

Another ear-piercing scream shattered the silence.

"Mi-Mikuo, that man over there…" Mikuo ignored his companion as he deftly strode over to the man in pain. His eyes widened as he came closer.

"T-This is…"

Big Al saw something change in the teal-haired boy's eyes. Len took an uncertain step forward.

"Mikuo, is something wro-"

"Len, quick! Get my magic book!"

The blonde was shocked still for a moment.

"NOW!"

Without another moment's hesitation, Len turned around and hastily made his way to the exit. However he was barred by the doctor and more than a few of the camp residents.

"Now hold it, young man. Nobody but me gives orders concerning the patients in this tent. I want you two _mages_ to stay put right here where I can keep an eye on you." He spoke the words with a subtle, but evident sense of venom. Almost the whole tent was standing between Len and the exit, and it wasn't a very comfortable feeling.

Time seemed to stand still until a booming voice resounded throughout the tent.

"Let him go."

He said only three words, yet in that instant Big Al was able to command everyone so completely. The human barrier promptly split apart and paved a path for Len out of the tent. The blonde hurried out without another word.

"Sir, why did you…" The doctor's words were halted when he saw his leader, _their_ leader, gazing intently at the one remaining mage in the tent. The teal haired boy had completely ignored the earlier commotion and was focused on observing the wounded man. He prodded areas and inquired of the resulting pain which the patient answered with an enduring grimace. If it wasn't for the fact he was a mage, the doctor would definitely have hired the boy to help work in the medical tent. Instead, he settled for doing nothing, allowing Mikuo to do whatever he wanted.

* * *

"Mikuo! I'm back!"

Mikuo turned to see an exhausted Len, panting by the tent entrance. In his hands was his book of magic. He motioned and Len promptly passed over the book. The blonde then watched in awe and fascination as Mikuo deftly flipped the pages with an air of familiarity, worn brown paper flapping at unimaginable speeds so that the book looked like a blur to Len and all other residents of the tent.

The flipping stopped, Mikuo's finger having landed on a paragraph on the page. Emerald orbs swiftly scanned the page, like fish darting about through the water. Finally satisfied, Mikuo closed the book in a flurry of dust.

Without a moment's hesitation, the teal-haired boy reached into his pocket and produced two vials: one filled with light blue liquid, and another with a sludgy yellow substance. He uncorked the blue tube and proceeded to empty about one third of its contents into the yellow. Near the entrance of the tent, the tent doctor was about to march right up to the boy and protest, but was stopped by the strong hand of Big Al.

Once the mixture had been prepared, Mikuo poured the newly created bright green substance onto the red welt. Many began to gather to witness the miracle occur. First, the small yellow lumps shrank until they became no more. Then slowly, gradually, the large red bump lost its angry colour, and shrank to the size of a mosquito bite. Everyone was stunned silent as Mikuo began his analysis.

"This is the result of a magical spell, and a very high level one at that. It works by charming a specific mushroom that grows in long grass. When somebody brushes past the mushroom, its spores land on them, and wherever it touches skin, these bumps will grow. It's not something a non-magic doctor would be able to fix, but luckily this book gave me the information I needed to treat a range of magical plant-related diseases. It's almost healed now but I suggest you stay in bed for a while longer. The bump will go away after a few weeks but it will itch a lot. Don't scratch at it or it may become infected again."

As Mikuo finished, the patient slowly stared in disbelief at his leg, seeming shocked at the fast recovery. Finally, he managed to mutter: "Thank you. I guess not all mages are that bad…"

His words set off a chain reaction as almost everyone in the room then proceeded to cheer and praise Mikuo for saving their companion. Len was also surprised at the sudden turn in attitude after the initial hostility. Now it seemed as if they never loathed magicians in the first place.

Amid the cheering crowd, Big Al stole away silently.

* * *

"In all my dreams I never thought I would cheer on a mage," confessed the doctor after the initial excitement had died down. "That Big Al really knows his stuff. If it weren't for him, I would have stopped you the first chance I got."

Mikuo and Len merely smiled, unsure of how to react to the sudden positive attention.

"It would probably do you some good to go see the leader," suggested Mikuo's patient. "He may look all tough on the outside but he's really a good guy."

The rest of the tent proceeded to agree so the two mages left to show their gratitude to Big Al. Once they had left, one of the younger male nurses gave a low whistle of admiration. "Woow, I guess mages might not be that bad after all…"

* * *

Relief washed over the two mages as they left the tent. Relief, and gratitude that they had been accepted by at least a portion of the camp.

"Well, that took a turn for the better," Mikuo joked.

"Things turned out great, for all of us." Len agreed, "and it's all thanks to their leader, Big Al."

"For a leader of a camp of warriors, he's surprisingly tolerant of mages." The teal-haired boy mused. "…Oh hey, we're here."

The leader's tent was rather modest and did not attempt to stand out from the rest of the camp. It was very similar to Big Al himself in that aspect, situated at the back of the camp to look over his subordinates, yet ready to stand tall and proud and support all the residents. Nevertheless, Len and Mikuo were slightly hesitant to enter. Despite Big Al's generosity and seemingly never-ending tolerance, the fact he was a leader, and a leader of a band of warriors who supposedly hated their kind, made them more than a little nervous.

"Er, maybe we shouldn't walk in so casually…" muttered Len.

"Mhm, let's just take a peek from outside, to make sure he's in first," Mikuo added, "It wouldn't be right if we just waltzed in when he isn't even in there, haha…"

Two heads peeked in from the tiny tent flap. The tent was rather small for its height and possessed only a bed and a wooden desk with a chair. Big Al's tall figure was in front of the desk, his back towards the boys. They heard him give a mournful sigh, and a small shudder.

"Oh Anne…"

Without another word, the two mages stole away silently, never having alerted the man of their presence.

* * *

Two figures stood side by side: A tall, lean man with brown hair, and a beautiful, tanned, blonde haired woman. From their close proximity to each other, the way their arms were linked, and the carefree yet joyful smiles on their faces, it was clear the two were lovers.

Big Al tightly gripped the picture frame, knuckles turning white and slightly shivering. He sighed as he murmured the woman's name. Yet while his heart was heavy, his face was stern and his eyes were dry. He had shed all his tears years ago.

In his heart, he silently made a solemn vow. Then his eyes hardened, preparing for battle.

"Anne…I'll end it all today…"


	13. Chapter 13

A pink sky stretched beyond the horizon, illuminating wisps of cloud that fluttered weakly like torn bandages. The blood red sun was a half circle that seemed to set the world on fire: the grass was bright orange, and the silhouettes of Big Al and his men were black like burnt corpses.

They marched onwards in their masses, with neither order nor rhythm, Big Al leading the charge. The men did not wear armour like royal knights, nor did they ride horses, for that would attract too much attention. They were garbed in brown leather, dull but tough, worn but strong. Each warrior marched with a steely determination in their eyes; some would think they were fighting for more than just their warrior's pride.

Their opponents were unaware of the attack. Len could see them in the distance, bustling about in their own little village. It was a circle of cleared land, bordered by the grassy plains. Len found himself comparing it to Mikuo and Miku's home. These people were also mages with strange powers and abilities. Did that make it impossible for them to belong anywhere?

"Watch out for traps in the grass…" Big Al murmured. Everyone was too tense to reply. This was their biggest attack on the magicians. The first time they would attack with all their manpower. It was clear Big Al intended to end the battle on the first fight.

Suddenly the sky darkened. It was no longer pink, but a bruised purple. It began from far behind them, in the direction of the warriors' camp, the violet stain spreading across the sky towards the mage village. The warriors became very flustered at the sight of the unnatural occurrence. Was it another trap set by the mages? How could they have known of their attack?

Big Al noticed the tenseness of his men, especially in his scouts. He knew then that this was not normal, and was not planned by either party. He could sense an evil intent in the air. It made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle, and caused goosebumps to travel up and down his arms.

"Everyone, fall back!" The command was sudden and harsh, causing all present to freeze in their tracks. And not a moment too soon. A ball of violet fire hurtled from the depths of the deep purple sky, leaving a trail of smoke. The fireball exploded, forming a large crater only metres from where the party had stopped. Soon the flames descended like rain upon them.

"TAKE COVER!" Big Al raised his voice to be heard against the sound of destruction. Nobody cared if they alerted the mages. A greater issue was at hand.

"Don't worry guys, I've got this!" Gumi emerged from behind Kaito, startling quite a few of the warriors. "Huddle up guys! I'm making a shield!"

Soon a crowd had formed around Kaito and his fairy. The green-haired sprite waved her tiny arms around and a giant green dome formed around the group, protecting them from the onslaught of violet flames.

From amidst the rain of fire, Len witnessed a purple meteor streak across the now darkened sky, towards the mage village. The blonde felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The scene was eerily familiar.

The meteor descended violently and soon the village was in flames. Above the creaking and crashing of destroyed homes, the boy heard the high pitched screams of the mages. Would they have reacted the same way, had the warriors suddenly attacked the village? Len doubted it. Here was a power far greater than anything any of the parties would have expected.

Mikuo seemed to be having an even worse time. Memories, sharp as daggers, assaulted him. Déjà vu clung to him like a stifling blanket. He couldn't breathe. _Miku…Miku…_

"MIKU!"

Big Al jumped at the teal haired mage's sudden exclamation. The boy zoomed past him, colliding into the green wall. Undeterred, Mikuo raised his fists against the shield, pounding with all his might. He had to get to his sister. Had to save her… He chanted her name like a spell. His pounding became fiercer, harsher…

_Miku…Miku…_

Gumi was straining now. Tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Finally she could take it no more.

"Can somebody please get that idiot to stop ruining my shield?!" she growled between gritted teeth.

Kaito and Big Al stepped up at the same time. Each grabbed one arm and together they pulled Mikuo away from the dome.

"Miku…no…no…Miku! Stop! Let me go! I have to save her! MIKU!"

The mage kicked and struggled, but the two males gripped him firmly. Len could do nothing but watch as his friend broke down before him. Within the shield, everything had become silent save for Mikuo's sobs. And outside, the onslaught of fire had started to die down. A thick column of black smoke rose from the remains of the mage village.

Gumi dissipated her shield and floated down to Kaito, exhausted. As if on cue, all the warriors suddenly began running towards the village. Only Big Al, Len, Kaito and Mikuo stayed. The teal-haired mage seemed to have calmed down considerably, and now lay motionless on the grass. He looked ready to fall asleep.

Kaito took a glance at Big Al, who was staring anxiously at the ruined village.

"Go." At the word, Al sprinted without hesitation to where his men had gone to.

"…"

"You can go too, Len. I'll look after Mikuo."

The younger mage gave a sheepish smile unnoticed by the blue-haired man, as he hurriedly scuttled off as well.

Kaito sighed as he gazed at the blackened sky, full of swirling grey clouds. Horrible things were brewing…

* * *

Len caught up to Big Al just as he had reached what appeared to be the village square where his men had gathered. To his surprise, most of them were embracing the women from the village. He remembered Mikuo's words: Most mages were women. How long ago it seemed when they had been able to chat so carefreely…

"Miriam!"

The man Mikuo had healed earlier that day hobbled past. His bad leg probably slowed him down. A beautiful woman with silver hair rushed over to embrace him. She was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Miriam…"

"…Anne…He took Anne!"

"WHAT?"

Time stood still for the warrior leader. Big Al marched over to the pair, a grim expression marred his face.

"What happened to Anne?"

The woman, Miriam, froze. Even her tears stopped flowing as she stared at the large man with watery eyes.

"…Al…"

"What happened to Anne? Answer me, Miriam!"

Miriam's brow furrowed and she began to sob again. "I'm so sorry. Big Al, we should never have left you guys. W-We thought magic could bring us happiness. It made life so much easier. I'm sorry, I'm…so…sorry…"

"MIRIAM!" Al's frustrated shout reverberated around the ruined village. Some of the other men looked over with their partners. "Where is Anne? What happened to her?"

Miriam spoke with a shaking voice. "T-The man…came, bringing along his purple fire magic…Anne tried to fight him off…we helped her with all the spells we knew. But…he was...too powerful. He-He devastated the village. Anne managed to protect most of us from the debris with her magic…But then he started to attack her directly. Anne…she fell, and he…he took her and just…just v-vanished…"

Big Al was silent, but Len rushed over. He saw the pain and fear in the eyes of the mages, and the sorrow reflected in those of the warriors', and he knew then, that the mysterious man that had become intertwined in their lives, was ruining people's lives, separating loved ones and destroying whole towns and villages. The evil mage had to be stopped.

_And perhaps…if I can accomplish that…I'll find out more about my mother…_

Al turned around, and for a second, his anger and sorrow was alleviated by the raging flame of determination he saw in the boy's multicoloured eyes. He held down his rage. Here was somebody who would carry it for him.

"Go on, boy, save her for me."

Miriam seemed to notice Len for the first time when she saw Big Al acknowledging him. "Please help Anne! She's like an older sister to us, but we couldn't do anything."

"Anne's the strongest mage out of all of us," one of the other women also pitched in. "Yet she was overpowered so easily…"

"I know a friend who lives beyond the seas." Big Al produced a worn piece of folded paper from his pocket. "I have not visited him for decades, and will probably never have the time to. He is a wise man, I'm sure he will be able to help you."

Len nodded stiffly as he accepted the paper. He unfolded it, revealing a hand-drawn map.

"I know he is still there, and will remain there for the rest of his life. He is that kind of man…" Al gazed into the distance as he reminisced, and then snapped his head back to Len. "Go now, young mage. Do not tell your companions of what has occurred. Go and don't ever look back."

The boy bowed, giving his silent thanks, then ran with everyone from the village, both male and female, gazing at his back as he disappeared into the distance.

* * *

Mikuo was awake and slightly dazed when Len returned. At their questioning stares he merely responded that Big Al thought it best that they move on. Kaito had learned from last time that sometimes it was better not to see things to the end. Mikuo meekly obliged.

"So where to next?" inquired Kaito.

Len held up the piece of paper. "We're going to cross the sea."

The group returned to the near empty camp. Most of the men were at the mages' village, and even the non-fighters that were told to stay behind probably were unable to follow that order. Kaito went to the storeroom and took some provisions, Mikuo retrieved their belongings and Len recovered their horse with just a whistle. They left the camp without turning back and without anybody to see them off.


	14. Chapter 14

"Excuse me, sir, my wife and I would like to cross this river and I heard your barge was the only available form of-"

"Why hello there, lovely young lady, would you like to cross over to the other side of this river?"

The party of Kaito, Mikuo and Len were met by this strange sight as they approached the only barge to take them across the river closer to their destination. The land here was split into two distinct islands, across which was a wide channel with strong currents flowing directly out to sea. In the past, there had been a bridge, but it had been removed by the small port town on the opposite bank in the interests of their own financial gain.

Now, a shabby old man, no doubt from the aforementioned port town, ran a lucrative business ferrying passengers between the two islands. He stood by the bank, in his dirty grey cloak, smelling of fish, and assisting passengers onto the large wooden barge. Well, Kaito noticed, assisting a _select_ few passengers, largely consisting of young women, regardless whether they were with their man or not.

The blue-haired man also did not fail to notice that, even though a nearby sign advertised an insane travel fee (it _was_ a monopoly, after all), the barge man was willing to reduce the price based on the physical attractiveness of the female.

"What a disgusting old bastard." Mikuo sneered. Luckily, the group were concealed by some foliage a small distance away, where the man could not see or hear them. "I'm assuming we've got no other choice, huh."

Kaito agreed. "Even if we had enough cash, _this_ is the last thing I'd want to spend it on." Gumi in her bottle sighed and nodded her head in silent agreement.

"I see where you're coming from," replied Mikuo.

"I don't," stated Len, who had absolutely no idea what the pair were muttering about. Even their horse, Chestnut, was whinnying. Then, to Len's utter confusion, the teal-haired boy directed a look of pity at the blonde.

Gumi looked away, claiming she was "going to nap now so don't bother me".

Even more disturbing was when Kaito started to take off his coat, murmuring, "Sorry about this, Len."

All too soon, Len realised their motive. However, by then, his companions had convinced him there really was no other choice…

* * *

The bargeman's eyes lit up when he saw another group approaching, his vision zooming in and targeting the adorable little girl sandwiched between two males.

"Why hello _darling_," he cooed, showing rows of crooked, stained teeth. "What _lovely_ eyes you have."

Len involuntarily flinched, hiding behind Kaito when the old man reached for him.

"Hehe, shy one, aren't you?"

Before he could invade Len's personal space again, Mikuo intervened. "We didn't come here for you to molest our _adorable_ 'sister', old man." The teal-haired boy motioned to the barge, almost full with passengers now. It was just about ready to set off. "Care to let us on?"

At Mikuo's tone, the bargeman grinned. "I see what you want, you cunning kid." He glanced at Len again, seeming to inspect him. "Hmm, she's a right adorable little one isn't she, lovely to look at. I'll let you guys get on for a discount of-"

"Oh yes sir," Mikuo interrupted with a beam, "she's undoubtedly the sweetest piece of eye-candy you'll ever have the fortune to feast on." Len felt goose-bumps just seeing the look on the old guy's face. Mikuo's salesman-like tone did nothing to calm his suspicions that something horrible was about to happen…

"However," the teal-haired male continued, "Say I'd let her sit with you, on your lap, the whole ride…"

_Oh hell no_, _what a horrible bastard you are, Mikuo. Selling me out like this!_ Len mentally stabbed his 'companion' with a million daggers, but the sly male was too intent focusing on the deal. He was going to get them a free ride, even if it killed him. Or Len for that matter.

It didn't take long to crack through the bargeman's resolve. The deal was surely too good to pass. "Ohoho boy, you know how to strike a hard bargain." He paused to consider the plan. "You boys do all the rowing this trip and I'll take the offer."

"Deal."

"Oh, and you'll need to pay for the horse too."

The mutual schemers shook hands, sealing Len's fate.

The poor boy glanced worriedly between the two males. Seeing the uncharacteristically evil glint in their eyes, he knew there was no way he was getting out of this one.

* * *

Kaito was very cold. They had used his coat to create a makeshift 'dress' for Len to wear. The boy had let his hair down, and combined with his tiny figure he really did look like a young girl. Though Kaito had to admit, the first time he met Len, he had truly confused him with the opposite gender…

The blue haired man sneezed, causing them to lose the rowing rhythm for a second. The wooden raft rocked precariously, however nobody seemed to mind too much.

"Watch it, Kaito. We don't want to screw up this job." Mikuo, the sly bastard. While he _did_ manage to get them a free ride, Kaito couldn't help but feel the teal haired wizard emerged with the most benefits. After all, _he_ wasn't experiencing an oncoming cold, nor being molested by a man old enough to be his grandpa.

_Oh man, poor Len._ Fortunately, they had made it clear the bargeman was not to touch anything covered by Len's dress. But just as agreed, the blonde had to sit obediently on the man's lap the whole journey. And said man had not stopped fondling him since the ride started. Sitting in his own secluded corner, the bargeman cuddled the boy like a teddy bear. A very petrified, very nervous teddy bear.

And what was worse, the man was _talking_. He addressed the crowd of passengers, firing off promotion after promotion, advertising the town they were heading towards:

"Now all you ladies present are lovely, yes you are. Lovely and beautiful, just how everyone adores their women." Already, some of the female passengers were scuttling as far away as possible from the strange man on their raft.

"But," continued the bargeman, "our Prima beats the lot of you. Even this one here," he pinched Len's cheeks, much to his chagrin. "Just by a bit, though." He chuckled, as did some of the other passengers, just to humour him, but Len was far from amused.

The old man would not stop talking about the 'star' of their town, a girl by the name of Prima. "Our Prima's a real crowd favourite. Beautiful as a rose, her looks put the goddesses to shame. Young and lovely, but not too shy, she's a real crowd pleaser that one, just hear her sing, or even talk. Just like a red robin. Oh and she can dance too, you should all go see her. When she dances, magic happens…"

_Blah, blah, blah, does this guy not know how to shut up?_ Mikuo could feel a headache coming on. _I bet he wouldn't be blabbering this much if he was doing the rowing, urgh. Tough job man._ The ordeal was almost enough to make him reconsider the deal. Almost.

* * *

The degree to which the bargeman was unwilling to let go of Len at the end of the ride was almost equal to how much said blonde wanted to get away from him. As far, far, away as possible. Nevertheless, a deal was a deal, and soon enough he was off rowing away for his next batch of customers *cough*victims*cough*.

Now the first thing Len wanted to do as soon as he set foot on nice solid ground was get out of the horrible dress and regain his manliness. However, as soon as they entered the town, they realised it was quite packed with people.

"What's with all the people?" shouted a pissed-off Mikuo after a whole family bustled past, every member treading on his foot. Nobody else noticed, of course, for the crowd was just too busy. Kaito struggled to raise his hand and point to a poster on the walls of a nearby inn. On it was a young girl looking about Len's age, with a head of shiny black tresses and piercing green eyes complimenting a wine red dress. It was noticeably a performance poster, advertising Prima, the 'star of the town', no less.

_This Prima must truly be amazing, to garner such a crowd_, mused Kaito.

Mikuo had the urge to groan, _Who knew the old guy was serious, that bastard._

Len's thoughts, on the other hand, were of a much more personal nature: _I need somewhere to change out of this dress, goddamnit._

* * *

The three males barged into the dingiest inn they could find, hoping to escape the throng of people, though even here there was a considerable amount. Nevertheless, the conditions were much better than that _outside_. At least they had room to move.

"Are you first-timers here?" a voice from the front counter drew their attention. A tall man with dark brown hair and grey eyes stood cleaning cups, a whimsical expression on his face. Kaito guessed he must be the owner of the inn.

"Yes, how did you know?" the blue haired man inquired.

"I can see by the looks on your faces," he chuckled, "definitely not the look of a local." His slate grey orbs twinkled with amusement.

"Is it always like this here?" asked Len.

"mm, only around the time when our Prima performs." The man's amused expression turned to one of pride. "She's a real crowd pleaser, that Prima-"

"We need a room," Mikuo interrupted abruptly. _Prima, Prima, Prima, what is it with this place?_

"And a place for our horse," added Kaito.

The inn owner was momentarily taken aback by the rudeness of this customer, but soon regained his normally calm, composed exterior.

"You guys are very lucky. There's one more room available. Even if we are a relatively small and insignificant inn in this large town, around this time the place is always flooded with crowds-"

"TONIOOOOOOOOO~!" a lilting, airy voice seemed to float into the room, shocking the three males by the door before said door was abruptly thrust open, shoving all three onto the floor. Standing at the entrance was a pale girl sporting black curls and determined green eyes. The flair with which she walked, as well as the arrogant yet charming air about her, made her instantly recognisable to approximately ninety-nine percent of the population.

"PRIMAAAAA~" cheered nearly everyone.

"P-P-Prima?" stuttered a floored Mikuo. Towering above him despite her short stature with the air of a celebrity, her presence was just too hard to miss, and she probably knew it. She stared quizzically at the three males on the ground, pausing considerably longer and raising her brows with a small smile when her eyes landed on Len. Next, she scanned her admirers within the inn, finally stopping her gaze on the front counter.

"Toniooo, I have something important I need to talk to you about." She shouted from the doorway

The inn owner, Tonio, sighed like a parent dealing with a spoilt child. "If you have something to say, just say it. We don't need another reason for rumours to spread."

"But Toniooo," Prima's whine caused Tonio to roll his grey eyes. "It's really important and concerns everybody here."

"All the more reason to just tell me here," was Tonio's stoic reply. "Half the town's already listened in on this conversation."

Prima huffed and pouted, probably causing quite a few of the people to die a little inside. She rolled her pretty green eyes as she pondered his suggestion, then, finally coming to a decision, pursed her pale pink lips.

"Weeeell, the thing is…" she paused dramatically, leaving the whole inn in suspense for a few tentative seconds.

"I'm not going to perform anymore."

A shocked silence as the news sunk in, and then full-blown chaos erupted.

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

* * *

"Thank God we finally got away from that crazy crowd." An exhausted Mikuo crashed onto the dirty mattress in their room.

"Haha, you can say that again," Kaito gave a nervous laugh as he remembered the terrible ordeal just minutes ago.

After Prima's dramatic and shocking news in front of an unprepared audience, it wasn't much of an exaggeration to say all hell broke loose. The drinkers by the front counter clambered out of their seats, racing to question the child star on her decision. The eavesdroppers outside were madly fighting for a spot in the doorway to reach their beloved Prima. Even the guests in the rooms had heard the commotion and were eagerly making their way in the masses to see the town's star performer.

Frankly, the three travellers were glad they made it out alive. Now, it seemed the commotion had died down. The inn owner, Tonio, must have done something to regain order.

"Either way, I don't want _anything_ more to do with that crazy chick," remarked Mikuo as he glared at the cracked ceiling.

"Haha, she's a real piece of work, huh," commented Kaito, "though I really would have liked to see her perform."

"What, don't tell me you've fallen for her too, Kaito!" an astounded Mikuo exclaimed. "I'll throw you out to the rest of the love-struck population if you say one more word about her!"

Kaito didn't take his words to heart. He laughed good-naturedly. "Don't worry Mikuo, it doesn't seem like she's going to perform anyway. I wonder why…What do you think, Len?"

"Don't look yet!" Len all but screamed. He was still changing out of his 'dress', aka Kaito's coat. Seems he had such issues ever since Kaito told him of the fateful night where he had discovered Len's true gender.

"Sorry Len, I won't look!" evidently, Kaito also had guilt issues.

Just as Len was putting on his last article of clothing, a white, long sleeved shirt, the door abruptly swung open and the foremost girl on everyone's minds arrived. There was barely enough time to register her presence before she exclaimed, rather loudly: "What-you're a guy?"

Len's face was beet red. He was too embarrassed to even get angry at the intruder, hastily finished dressing and avoided eye-contact with the girl. Mikuo had his mouth agape, seemingly not believing that such a popular figure was in _their_ room, a room full of guys, no less (Len included).

Prima's astounded expression soon morphed into one of amusement. "Heh, I thought it was strange you were sharing a room with two other guys, I never would have thought…Even you fooled _me_ with that get-up."

Len didn't think he could get any redder. Kaito hastily got up to defend his friend. "W-What's it to you Miss P-Prima? It's really n-none of your business…"

"What are you being so polite to her for?" hissed Mikuo, who had recovered from his shock.

"B-But, isn't she a celebrity here? I wouldn't want to offend her or anything…" blubbered the horribly confused blue haired man. _What is Prima doing here? What does she want?_

The black haired girl ignored the pair's heated discussion, stepping right up to blonde. She stared intently at his face, causing him to shift his eyes to the floor.

"…"

"…"

"You have really pretty eyes."

"…"

Len's continued silence annoyed the girl, who pouted. Then her eyes brightened as she thought of an idea.

"Tell you what, I'll keep your little secret if you do me a favour~"

Without any further notice, Len was unwillingly dragged out of the room. Kaito and Mikuo could only watch dumbfounded as the arrogant girl and _very_ confused boy left the room.

"Oh, and don't worry guys, I'll bring her-I mean, _him_ back soon enough~"

The door slammed, rousing awake a very sleepy bottle fairy. Gumi emerged from her bottle hidden among the rest of their belongings, drifting drunkenly to and fro. Seeing the expressions on the two males, she cocked her head and raised her brows.

"So…what did I miss?"

* * *

Prima, and Len, weaved through the throngs of people lining the streets, their slim figures travelling like fish in a stream. Len was stunned at just the _huge_ amount of people. Were they all here to see Prima? Travelled all the way from distant lands much like his group, just to see this girl perform? He had assumed most of the crowd were actual locals of the town, from how they greeted Prima. Yet the sight of the girl never failed to put a smile on every single person who saw her, be they old or young, male or female, local or foreign. It was just the energy simply _radiating _from the girl, a contagious sort of happiness that cheered up all who were near her.

Even Len found himself managing a small smile.

The girl abruptly stopped, causing the blonde to slam into her. Len picked himself up off the ground, rubbing his head. Prima remained unaffected, peering into the window of a small wooden shack. A large sign looking none too new, with faded red paint signified it was a tailor shop. The windows were grimy, and the place looked void of customers.

Smiling in satisfaction, Prima led the boy straight through the tattered double doors, shouting at the top of her lungs: "MIZKI! LUKI! I'M HERE FOR THE DRESS!"

Some cluttering was heard behind the front desk, a muffled swear, then a man with short pink hair emerged with a groan. He looked as if he had just got out of bed: his hair was a bird's nest, and his blue eyes were droopy. He blinked a few times, tilted his head, then, suddenly recognising Prima, his orbs expanded to the size of dinner plates.

"Oh! P-Prima! Wait a sec," he turned around and hollered: "MIZKI! GET OVER HERE! IT'S PRIMA!"

Some clambering was heard, a bang, a muffled "ouch", then the sound of wooden clogs. Soon, a dark haired woman emerged, a jubilant smile on her face.

"Prima! You're finally here!"

Said girl gave a charming smile, and then inquired: "Is the dress for the performance ready?"

"Just about. Why don't you try it on?"

Prima's eyes took on a cunning sparkle. "I won't." In response to the strange looks on the tailors' faces, she smirked. "I won't be performing anymore."

Luki looked absolutely flabbergasted, Mizki's delicate hands covered her mouth as she gasped. At these reactions Prima's smile grew wider.

"Don't worry though," the cheeky girl suddenly clutched onto Len's arm, dragging him closer.

"_He_'ll be replacing me."

* * *

**Sorry for the wait guys ^^;**

**Yay who likes cross-dressing Len? XD**


	15. Chapter 15

"P-Prima!"

Three pairs of large eyes zeroed in on the nonchalant girl, who diverged nothing to the bewildered stares of her companions. Dazzling emerald orbs lit up in mirth as the child star revealed a cunning smirk.

"What Prima says, everyone must do~ So get a move on now."

"Primaaa-" whined Mizki, waving her hands about childishly, "That's unfair, doing whatever you like just because you're popular …" she pouted cutely, but her opponent was unaffected.

"No." the other girl spat. "You can't make me do what I don't want to do. Len here is taking my place, whether you like it or not."

The girl in the kimono looked ready to throw a tantrum. Luki intervened.

"Mizki," he placed his large hands on the small girl's shoulders, eliciting a gasp as she stiffened. "Take Len to the fitting room. I'll deal with Prima."

The kimono-clad girl took a few deep breaths, then, after calming herself, wordlessly motioned for the blonde to follow her into a separate room. The pink haired guy was left with the spoilt child star.

Prima huffed, pouted and looked away. Luki merely sighed, as if used to her antics.

"Prima…" he began in a gentle voice, "what's got you so scared now?"

* * *

Len and Mizki entered a spacious room full of mannequins and fabrics of all different colours and sizes. The dark haired girl immediately strode over to a large cupboard.

"Sorry about the mess," she mumbled as she searched around. "We weren't expecting any visitors."

The blonde walked over to the girl, who turned around with a roll of tape in one hand and a wheel of pins in the other. To Len's surprise, she suddenly frowned at him.

"I-is something wrong…?"

Len felt very self-conscious as Mizki started pacing around him, observing the boy at every angle, getting up as close as possible but never actually making contact.

"M-miss Mizki…?"

He jumped when the silent girl suddenly let out a huge sigh.

"It's no good, it has to come off."

"Huh, what…"

She motioned vaguely at his top. "Your clothes! They're in the way! How am I going to measure you properly?"

"Ah-"

"So come on, take them off now."

"Miss M-Mizki…I'm a guy…"

"Yes, I know."

"…"

* * *

A blush adorned the boy's face as Mizki started work, ignorant to his wordless anxieties. She deftly wrapped the measuring tape around his arms, waist and hips, all the while making silent calculations in her head, and occasionally scribbling on a piece of paper. To the girl, Len occupied a role similar to an inanimate object, accentuated by his prolonged silence. Mizki was in a secluded sphere of her own: in the room was her, and her alone. The rustling of the tape measure, the friction on the fabric, such was the music of her world. At one point, the girl even started humming a song. Despite this, Len was feeling _very _self-conscious.

"You can change back now, I'm going to start cutting."

"Ok"

"…"

"Can I watch?"

"Mn, if you want"

After another sustained silence, just as Mizki was about to fall prey to her mindless routine once more, Len spoke up.

"Miss Prima seems like a really amazing person…"

Mizki stopped, a soft smile adorned her face before she resumed cutting.

"Yes, she's amazing. Everyone looks up to her. Even if she acts a bit spoilt sometimes, we all adore her…"

"…but you know," began Len, a curious look on his face, "Miss Mizki is amazing too."

This caused the girl to stop and look up at the boy."D-Don't be ridiculous. I could never hope to match Prima!" Len was slightly worried when a huge blush spread on her face, but persisted nevertheless.

"Miss Prima and Miss Mizki are special in their own ways. I bet even Miss Prima wouldn't be able to make clothes like Miss Mizki can!"

"H-hey, don't say that. Prima might get jealous," but even the blonde could tell the girl in the kimono was pleased. She hastily resumed cutting, the blush on her face slowly fading away.

For a while, the only sounds that could be heard was the *snip snip* of Mizki's scissors. After she had cut out the desired length of fabric, the dark haired girl seemed to hesitate before she spoke once more.

"Did you know, there's an even more amazing tailor than me." Len cocked his head in interest. "Her name was Luka. She was the previous owner of this shop, Luki's sister. She taught me everything to know about tailoring and sewing, and she was someone I greatly looked up to." Len swore he had never seen Mizki look as bright and happy as she did when she spoke of her teacher. Her dark orbs had attained a joyful gleam, seeming like oriental pearls when combined with her light pink kimono.

"Wow, she sounds amazing. I'd really like to meet her."

Len immediately regretted his comment when he saw the light fade from the other girl's eyes. Her posture slumped as she became downcast, revealing nothing of the cheerful girl just seconds ago.

"M-Miss Mizki, what's wro-"

"For the last time, nothing's wrong!" Prima slammed open the fitting room door with a huff, marching in with a reddened face. Luki was not far behind.

"Prima, we can't help you if you don't tell us-"

"I'll tell you when I feel like it!" barked the girl angrily, her black curls bouncing.

"Prima…?"

Said girl snapped her head, glaring at the speaker. Mizki shrunk back in fear. Prima, seeming to notice she was not alone with Luki anymore, collected herself.

"M-Mizki! Are you done?"

"N-Not yet….Almost…Ah…"

A look of guilt crossed the performer's face as she heard Mizki's stutters.

"Come on Luki, let's leave so Mizki can work. You come too, Len." Len, who had been standing awkwardly to the side in silence, took one last worrying glance at the girl with the scissors, and left the room.

* * *

"Yay, I can't wait to see Len in the dress~" squealed Prima. She seemed a completely different person once out of the room.

Taking the hint, Luki attempted to forget their previous conversation as well."Yes, I'm sure it will be…interesting."

Len made no comment, still worrying over Mizki. Why was she so upset when he mentioned he wanted to see Luka? Did something happen?

"Tell me again, why you want to see the boy in _your_ costume?" Prima caught onto his hint, but refused to give a direct answer.

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously.

* * *

"Oh…my…" mumbled Mizki. Luki shook his head in disbelief while Prima looked on with a self-satisfying grin, a rubber band wrapped around her finger.

"M-Miss Prima, why did you take my rubber band?" questioned a confused Len. As soon as Len changed into the dress, Prima had rushed over to him and removed the hair tie, while the tailor shop owners gaped.

"Sh-Shoot…" Luki was shaking his head. "He looks…so much like her…"

"See, see? Wouldn't it be better for him to go on stage instead of me?" Prima's smile grew.

"Wh-What? Who do I look like?"

Len's dress was black, with a laced up corset extending into layers of frills and a thigh-length skirt. Large sleeves puffed up just below the shoulders, revealing milky white skin that contrasted beautifully with the single red rose at his chest. Combined with yellow ribbons trailing across his sleeves, as well as a larger black ribbon in his golden hair, he felt like a doll.

"An exact mirror image," Mizki breathed out.

"WHO?!" Len all but screamed.

* * *

Curious gazes came his way, and though he tried ignoring them, he couldn't help feeling very awkward and _very_ out of place. He could hear the people on the streets, people from all different places, of all different background, congregated in the one place to see one show in particular. They were murmuring words of confusion, as the boy in the dress, along with the child star of their town, ripped off posters of the upcoming performance. Mingled in between phrases of disbelief was a name eerily similar to his, yet so different.

"Don't mind the stares Len," Prima announced for the umpteenth time. "Sure it's not everyday we see somebody dressed like that walking the streets in this town, but," she flashed a toothy grin, "We'll be sure to blow them away with your spectacular performance, won't we?"

Len grumbled his response. "Miss Prima, why do I have to come out looking like this _now_?" With the unique style of the black dress, he was certain he was getting more than just curious stares.

"Advertisement," Prima replied bluntly. At Len's disapproving gaze, she tilted her head in genuine curiosity. "What's wrong? Don't you like it? I think it looks good on you. And I'm sure a lot of other people do too. Plus, just call me Prima."

_But they're seeing someone else when I wear this dress. And that's not the biggest problem here…_

"Prima," Len stated in all seriousness, "I am a boy."

"Yes," the girl replied, a mysterious twinkle in her emerald eyes. "I know."

* * *

They had traversed the whole town, eliminating the posters with Prima on them, while said girl blatantly advertised the alternative performance to all they met. When they were sure everybody in town knew (they even paid a visit to Tonio, Kaito and Gakupo, much to Len's chagrin), Prima dragged the boy to an outdoor theatre on a grassy plain, announcing it as the stage he would perform on.

"Let's have a dress rehearsal now~" she declared. Len looked on with mild amusement as he followed the girl's directions onto the stage. Prima was definitely having too much fun with this. The area had been barred off to regular people to set up for the performance. It was located near the town, but the scenery was one completely of nature. There was nobody to disturb them, and Len was able to focus solely on Prima's instructions.

"The routine's not very difficult, Tonio does most of the work. You just follow him looking pretty. Yep, like that."

"…Miss-I mean, Prima, there's no partner…"

"Mm, mm" Prima was nodding her head like a professional, "but you've got the look down good. _Real_ good."

"…"

Prima was not even looking at Len anymore. She had her eyes closed, and was still nodding, as if to convince herself. Even when Len had hopped offstage and was right in her face, the girl was still spouting praises.

"…Prima-"

"Eek! Don't scare me like that! And what are you doing off stage? Get back on now!"

Len did not budge. He stared disapprovingly at the girl.

"Prima, why are you so intent on having me replace you?"

"…" Her face morphed into an unconvincing smile. "Why, of course, everyone's looking forward to you more-"

"Looking forward to see Rin, you mean."

Prima's face fell, confirming his suspicions. The blonde sighed in frustration. "Prima…I…I'm not Rin, alright? No matter how…similar we look, I'm just…" with every word Prima sunk lower. "…not…Rin…"

By the end of his sentence Prima looked close to tears. Len immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "H-Hey, don't be upset, Prima."

The girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "S-Sorry, I…I just…" she rubbed her eyes and smiled, "you look so much like her...You could be twins."

Len stiffened at her words. Familial phrases were just so…_foreign_ to him. Nevertheless, his interest had been piqued.

"…What was she like?"

Prima drew a deep breath to compose herself. "Rin, she was…well, the complete opposite of you I guess." She gave a short laugh, but her words stung just a bit. "She was loud, obnoxious, and short tempered. But her smile was blindingly bright, her eyes crystal clear. She'd unknowingly cheer you up just by being next to you…"

As Prima sung words of praise about Rin, Len had to hide his smile. Chuckling, he commented: "sounds like someone else I know."

The girl cut off mid-sentence, staring wide-eyed at the boy in comic bewilderment. It took a while for realisation to sink in, then she blushed beet red.

"Wha-no, I…Damn it Len, don't you dare laugh at me!"

"It's true," the blonde chuckled, "just being near you makes people happy."

"…I see…" a soft smile adorned the girl's pale face, "to be even considered equal to Rin…that makes me really happy…"

Len paused in though, then suddenly adopted a serious look as he creased his brows. "But that's not it, right…" At Prima's questioning glance he continued. "The reason you want me to go on stage. It can't just be because I look like Rin." He noticed those green eyes flash in worry. He was onto something.

Emerald orbs suddenly dropped to the floor as Prima hung her head in shame. "Yeah, it's not…" Len seemed more apathetic than angry. He trusted Prima had some major reason, something she was unwilling to disclose to anybody else.

"What's…wrong?"

Those bright green optics slid back up to meet with multicoloured ones. Len could only identify one emotion in her conflicted expression: fear.

"I…I'm scared," the girl's voice was barely above a whisper, and could have easily been snatched away by the wind, had he not been listening and observing intently. The girl's demeanour had changed. Shoulders slumped, eyes dull…she was just like Mizki. She started mumbling, still downcast. "There have been…rumours, around town…Rumours of…kidnappings…Kidnappings of girls." She took a deep breath, not noticing the changed look in the boy's eyes. "Everyone will probably think I'm dumb or something and honestly I didn't pay them much attention either, until it affected somebody very close to me."

"…Luka…" Len breathed out. He had put the pieces together.

Prima nodded. "Just a few weeks ago, she went to visit her mother in another village. We never heard back from her nor her mother. But, the villagers told passing travellers what had happened, and these travellers came here." The girl sniffled. "The village was completely destroyed…I was the only one who heard. I didn't tell Mizki or Luki, and both of them probably think Luka is…dead." She let out a choked sob. "But really, who would believe me? It's ridiculous to think I'd be scared by a rumour like this. But somehow I just have this feeling…something horrible is going to happen. You believe me, right?" She looked so desperate Len just had to nod.

Prima rubbed her eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and then put on a shaky smile. "It might not do much, but can you please take over the stage for me? I want to be out of the spotlight, just this once. And if nothing happens…then that's great."

Again, Len found himself agreeing to her request.

* * *

She had anticipated it, predicted it, even. As Len saw the bruising purple clouds form in the distance, he felt a familiar sinking feeling. He seemed to be looking through a glass wall, a distant spectator, apathetically watching as the violet meteors crashed onto the packed town. He had witnessed the scenario one too many times: terror and despair hung in the air, striking like knives into the hearts of everyone present. No matter how hard he tried to veil it, how much he attempted to block his ears and eyes, Len knew he could never grow accustomed to the horrible sights and sounds.

Prima was kidnapped. The evil magician headed straight for her, and made sure nobody would get in the way. The girl put up a struggle, but it seemed even she knew it was futile, and in front of the whole town, their 'star' was taken away.

Disappointment throbbed dully like a headache. He felt frustration boil up when the kidnapper cast an amused glance at him, recognising the boy in the dress.

_I'm weak, and powerless. I couldn't protect anyone, not even my friend…_

…_I want to become stronger…_

* * *

Kaito immediately noticed a different look in Len's multicoloured orbs. His look was no longer one of anxiety and confusion, but of a steely determination. Whilst tending to the townspeople, the blue haired man could tell the blonde's thoughts were elsewhere: his gaze was towards the distance, his brows furrowed in concentration. Finally, the boy spoke:

"Kaito…there's somebody I want to meet."

* * *

**Thank you for reading :)**


	16. Chapter 16

"I saw you on stage, little one." Large calloused hands gently patted Len's golden hair. "You really looked a lot like her, could have fooled me." Cracked lips parted into a smile, revealing a row of uneven yellow teeth. "You did a great job up there, kid."

Len cast his gaze downwards and sighed. "Is there even a point anymore?"

Prima was gone, and you could see it clearly in the defeated glances of the townspeople and travellers. There was no more fire, no more explosions, no more sounds; only the charred, broken remnants of a once prosperous and lively town. It was déjà vu all over again.

Once more, the travellers bottled up their grief and frustration, and continued onwards, leaving the town behind, knowing there were things only they could do.

* * *

The wooden pole sliced through the murky green water, opening a path, pushing the boat forward. Len sat near the edge of the boat, legs curled up and hands tucked under, gazing forlornly beyond the trees on either side of the riverbank, where a plume of ominous grey smoke billowed continuously, an enduring reminder of their failure.

"Sir," he softly enquired, "could you tell me, about Rin?"

The old boatman cracked a small smile as his eyes grew hazy. He loved kids, especially adorable girls. And Rin fit that bill exactly.

"Rin," he began in hoarse voice, "was like the Sun." Cheerful, bright and warm. "She looked a lot like you…" he glanced at the depressed boy, who had changed back into normal clothes. _But how different you are to her in every other way._

"She came to our port town a couple months ago, with her mother, I think. Came from the same direction as you guys. I remember offering her a free ride if she sat in my lap. I got a kick in the balls as a response." His chuckle was soft and low. "She was a real piece of work. Instantly became friends with anyone and everyone within ten seconds of meeting them. Some thought she was an angel."

"I…want to meet her," mumbled the blonde. "Somehow, I feel she is very important…"

Here, the boatman paused and looked over the boy once again. Curled up, with such a forlorn look in his eyes, he seemed so vulnerable. Like a lost puppy with nowhere to go. _I hope he finds what he is looking for…and that it will make him happy…_

Len's multicoloured orbs slid from watching the horizon, to peeking at the boatman, seemingly urging him to continue.

"She performed on stage, sometimes with Prima, sometimes by herself. She brought joy to everyone who saw her, but she only stayed a couple of weeks. And then she was gone, like a fragrant wind scattering her petals. She may not be there anymore, but nobody in that town would ever forget her."

Mikuo, who had stayed silent all this time, suddenly piped up from the other side of the boat. "Why did she leave?"

"Her mother and her were looking for a place to live. But it seemed they didn't like how busy the town was. Too many strangers, apparently." The boatman gave a nonchalant shrug. "Most of them don't know where the little angel flew off to afterwards, but I'm the one who sent her off, so I do know. And that's where we're heading now."

"Um," Len's timid voice focused the man's attention back on the small boy. "Thank you very much for listening to my selfish request. Not just you, Mr Boatman, but Kaito and Mikuo too. I know there were things you guys wanted to do, and what I wanted may have interfered with your plans, and-"

"Don't sweat it, Len. We're in this together now." Mikuo's voice brought a sparkle back into Len's eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile. "Isn't that right, Kaito? Kaito?"

The blue haired man had not said a word since they first set foot on the boat. His hunched figure faced forward and he sat, unmoving like a statue.

"Hey, Kaito, you alright?" The teal haired boy shook his friend. Kaito's body stiffened as he whipped his head around to stare dazedly at Mikuo with drooped eyes.

"Mikuo? Ah, yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit tired." Suddenly, he sneezed.

"You don't sound alright to me!" Four heads whipped around in surprise. One of the bags on the boat was shaking, startling Chestnut the horse as he gave a frightened whinny. A tiny hand reached out from within the bag, followed by a mop of bright green hair. Angry emerald orbs met sapphire blue ones. "Kaito! I leave you alone for a few moments and _this_ happens!"

"…Gumi!" it took a while for the man to register the presence of his fairy. "What are you doing outside? You'll startle the boatman!"

"…This your pet or something?" said boatman glanced in confusion at the sudden new…passenger? "Well…I won't charge you extra for it or anything if that's what you're worried about…"

"That's not the issue here!" For such a tiny fairy, Gumi's voice was quite loud. "Kaito! What kind of guardian fairy would I be if I let you become ill?" By now the fairy was hovering angrily and making her way towards the man. Kaito unconsciously moved backwards in slight fear…

"Kaito, watch out!" Len's warning was in vain. He winced at the huge splash of water, as his friend fell overboard… "Ah, stop the boat!"

* * *

"Rin and her mother got off around here," said the boatman. "They should have headed to the nearest town." He glanced at a shivering and wet Kaito. "I would advise you to change into dry clothes, if you have any. Hopefully there won't be too many people around this area…"

"We should set up camp somewhere," commented Mikuo. "If we wait for Kaito's clothes to dry, might as well sleep here."

"No," Kaito opposed. "We should be close to a town, if we hurry, we can probably get to an inn before nightfall."

Len turned to the boatman. "How far is the nearest town?"

"Hm, you'll probably get there within the hour if you walk straight in this direction." He gestured towards a small forest. "But I haven't been here in months, so I'm not quite sure."

"We better head off now then," said a determined Kaito. "Don't worry guys, I'm almost dry." The blue haired male took the lead, followed by his sheepish-looking fairy, and then Mikuo. Len took a worrying glance at the darkening sky, before following suit.

Half an hour later, the group had exited the forest and were met with a worn out path. A fading sign stood at the crossroads. Mikuo peered at the sign and grinned. "Come on guys, we're close. We should get there in less than twenty minutes."

Kaito sneezed, causing Gumi to glance in concern at him. "Let's go."

The wind grew stronger, blowing leaves, dirt and other debris across the fading track.

"Is it me, or is it getting colder?" Mikuo cast a worried glance at Kaito, whose shivering had gotten considerably worse. "Are you alright, Kaito?"

The blue haired man grunted and continued onwards.

"…Oh, crap." Len eyed the white powdery substance at his feet, then cast his gaze to the great white mountains. "It's snow…"

Kaito heaved a sigh. "Stop worrying, we'll get there soon."

Ten minutes later, the man fell unconscious, oblivious to the worried shouts of his companions. Gumi flew up and cradled his neck. "Stay strong, Kaito!"

Len bent down to shield his friend from the onslaught of wind and snow. They had already changed into much warmer coats, but Kaito was evidently still feeling the cold. "Aren't we there yet, Mikuo? How much longer?"

The teal haired male glanced desperately around him, seeing only white snow and a black sky. Huge mounds of pure white loomed menacingly as far as the eye could see. Where was the village? They should have reached it by now, or at least have seen it. He gulped as the wind howled mercilessly.

"I…don't know…"

Len huffed. "This won't do. We need to find some shelter. Get Kaito out of the wind and snow…" He dragged his friend towards a snow mound, hoping the structure would shield the man from the elements. Kaito was heavy, and even with Mikuo's help both boys were panting with exhaustion.

"I'll dig a hole or something," muttered Mikuo as he began to paw at the snow in front of them. His freezing fingers suddenly struck something hard. Curious, the boy pushed apart the snow, revealing a wall.

"What's that?" Len joined him and rapped on their new discovery. "Feels like…wood…"

Mikuo and Len stiffened at the same time. Both males furiously began clawing away the snow. With each clump of white that fell at their feet, their breaths quickened. Len's heart almost stopped when he saw glass, framed by more slabs of wood.

"A…a window…" he gulped. He peered through the dirty glass. In the murky gloom he saw a wreck of wood, tiles and more snow. Their fears had been confirmed. The snow mound was a house, and the roof had completely collapsed.

Mikuo scrambled up and glanced in horror at the surrounding scenery. Suddenly, those numerous snow mounds seemed to take on less of a rounded appearance, and his eyes seemed to spot other details he had previously missed, like the half covered form of a glass fragment, or the broken wooden sign buried a little to his right. He knew now why they couldn't find the town.

They were already standing in it.

* * *

Beneath a pitch black sky, the bitter onslaught of cutting wind and freezing snow battered the travellers, who had taken refuge underneath the window sill of the house they had just uncovered. The interior had no space to hide in, and they couldn't find a decent opening to shovel out the snow. Even if they did, the two remaining conscious males were far too tired to lift another finger.

They huddled together for warmth, but it did not seem to do Kaito any good at all. His breathing had become shallow, his skin, deathly pale. Gumi still clutched to his neck like a lifeline, but she had also fallen unconscious, her tiny body steadily turning blue. Their horse was lying motionless on its knees, their baggage offering it a little warmth. The snow had piled up on its unmoving form, covering it like a blanket would cover a small child.

Delicate snowflakes fell gracefully from an endless black sky. Len's half closed eyes saw only a blur of pure white and pitch black.

_Somebody…help…_he thought, before his lids closed, and he surrendered himself to the darkness.

* * *

**Long update time is long.  
****Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**I am _so_ sorry for the wait ;A;**

* * *

There once lived a man who thought he had attained all the happiness in life. He fell in love and married a beautiful woman, raised a family in a quiet village, worked an easy job, and lived a life devoid of worries.

Yet all the fortune piled up in his early years accumulated, and gradually transformed into misfortune. One day his village was destroyed, ravaged by fire. His wife died in the process, leaving him with their two children. He lost his house, his security and his happiness. Life never got easier for him since then. He travelled from place to place, searching for somewhere to belong. With only the clothes on his back, and his two children, times became very difficult.

Soon he realised the impossibility of raising both children in his current state. There was no way they would live happy lives if they continued to stay with their impoverished father. Thus, steeling his resolve, he left them with a friend in another village, and continued his journey to recover even a semblance of his former life, alone.

He travelled far to the north, where the winds were harsh and bitter, to a tiny village, located in the cradle of a mountain. There, the old man found his second love, a young girl of only twenty. Their relationship was abhorred by the villagers, yet their love was true. They moved away from the village, deeper into the mountains, found an outcast child living in a cabin by herself, adopted her, and lived together as a pseudo family for a time.

Yet the man never forgot his former life. He wondered how his first children were, whether they had attained happiness yet. He wanted to see them before he died; he wanted his new family to meet them. His new wife, though hesitant at first, finally gave in to his wishes. The day they were to leave, she wanted to visit the village that had deserted her once more. Taking their child, she kissed him one last time before leaving him, forever.

* * *

It was snowing the day disaster struck. _Much like it is now_. He remembered rushing out as fast as his weary legs would let him. The sky was dark, yet the village was ablaze, trapped by the mountains which had protected it for so long. He ran, panting. Age had made him physically slow and weak, yet his heart was pounding erratically. He overexerted himself, tripped on a patch of snow, and as he himself fell, so too did the tears. Through his blurry vision, he saw the charred remains of the village, the people, his wife.

And he cursed. He cursed the fire, he cursed the snow, he cursed his very existence. The sole survivor of the tragedy was now left with nothing. He sobbed, cried, wailed, beside the corpse of the woman he loved. And still the snow fell mercilessly.

For some unfathomable reason, the man continued to live. He locked himself in that little cabin, now empty and devoid of warmth. He starved himself, abstained from consuming anything. Yet though it was painful, he would not die.

Each morning he awoke to a bleak white landscape, and cursed his existence. He spent his days remembering days gone by: days spent with his beloved wives, his beloved children. He did not have the heart to start over again. So he stayed in that little cabin all alone, surrounded by wind and snow, waiting for death.

_Yet why am I still here? _

How many years had passed? Five? Ten? Fifty? The man did not know, nor did he care. He sat in the same position each day, in his seat by the empty fireplace. He was almost like a rock, a stone statue. He did not eat, did not drink, did not move, did not even think anymore. Life was meaningless, his existence was meaningless.

Yet today he was suddenly jolted out of that state, as if awakening from a trance.

_Why am I still here?_

_How long has it been?_

_Why am I still alive?_

The man felt incredibly lost and confused, after regaining his consciousness after so long. He stretched his arms, causing a load of dust to fall to the floor. He slowly turned his head to the side, to get his muscles moving again. He saw whiteness through his window; a familiar, yet incredibly lonely whiteness.

He did not wish to remember that whiteness. And so he distracted himself. By cleaning.

The physical labour numbed the mind and warmed up the muscles. He soon had a mountain of dust to get rid of. The man opened the door and let the wind carry it away. He did not care where it ended up.

The man stepped outside, feeling as if he had not done so in a very long time. The wind whipped at his face, at his hair which had grown long. Yet he did not feel the cold. He did not feel anything.

His legs moved by themselves, almost mechanically. His slippers made imperfect holes in the pristine white snow. He followed an invisible path, walking against the wind.

He left the door open.

* * *

Despite everything, he remembered the village. No matter how much the snow had attempted to erase it from his sight, it refused to be erased from his memories.

_She used to live in this house here._

Gnarled, skeleton-like hands stroked the snow mound. Yes, he could picture it, beyond the stark whiteness. A simple two room house of wood, a cozy fireplace, the creaky old bed he stayed in the first night he met her…

He walked around the mound, to where he thought her bedroom might have been. There was a window. The glass appeared to be still intact, but it was incredibly dirty. He wanted to move closer, to peek inside that window, as he did, those nights, so many years ago. Perhaps he would see her smiling face, with that expectant look in her beautiful eyes. Perhaps she would invite him in again, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and a finger to her lips. Perhaps-

His foot hit something hard. The man automatically looked down, his eyes still unfocused and glazed over. There was snow on his foot. He had kicked a smaller snow pile by the window. There was something buried in that snow pile.

The man slowly snapped back to reality as he uncovered three bodies and a horse.

* * *

The bodies were still warm, and faintly breathing. As the water rushing out from the unused tap slowly turned warm, the man felt signs of his first emotion in years. It was gratefulness.

The horse was the first to recover. It let out a great neigh, startling the two younger boys awake.

"C-Chestnut!" breathed Len. "Calm down…"

"L-Len," the teal haired boy beside Len shivered. "W-Where are we? What h-happened?"

"I d-don't know," replied his friend. "But I-I'm freezing-g…"

He felt a chill, and suddenly, he remembered.

"Holy- Mikuo! We a-almost d-died there!"

"It l-looks like we were s-saved then…" Mikuo looked around. The group seemed to be in a wooden cabin of sorts. The room was rather small, and sparsely furnished. There was a single red armchair by a fireplace with a small crackling fire, the only source of warmth. Mikuo noticed the wooden walls had bare patches, as if pictures were once hung there, but were now removed.

Len jumped as he heard shuffling and grunting. An old man emerged from the room next to the fireplace. His white hair was long and unkempt, he was incredibly thin, and he wore a long sleeve shirt and trousers. In his bony hands was a basin of hot water. This was placed on the floor beside the fireplace, after which the man shuffled to the armchair and sat, as if unsure how to proceed.

Len and Mikuo stared curiously at the old man, before deciding to warm their frostbitten hands.

"Hm, I'm warm enough to move around now," began Mikuo, "though I think we should really take a bath. Kaito too." He glanced nervously at the blue haired man, who was still unconscious. Then he looked to the strange old man sitting in the chair. "Hey, old man, sir, can we borrow your bath, or something?"

The man said nothing, only slowly pointed a long thin finger in the direction of the room he came from. Mikuo nodded his thanks, and then got Len to help him carry Kaito away. Soon, Len came back into the room with blankets for Chestnut. While warming up the horse, he made sure to thank the old man profusely.

The man said nothing, only lifted his bony hand to pat the boy on the head. A ghost of a smile made its way onto his weathered face. His dry, cracked lips opened as they uttered the first sound in years.

"No…thank you…"

* * *

Mikuo and Len were seated on the floor in front of the fire, beside the old man who had not moved from his chair since delivering the basin of water. Their horse was also located in the small living room, having no place to go. It made the space much smaller, however it was also incredibly cozy.

After some time just sitting and staring at the fire in silence, Mikuo spoke. "We were…incredibly lucky you were still living here, sir…" his voice was quiet, eyes still transfixed on the mesmerising form of the flickering flame, as if talking to himself.

For a while there was no reply, only the occasional crackling from the fire. And then the man uttered, in a voice so soft as to be ghostly: "…living…I am still living…"

"Yes…yes you are…" confirmed Len. Neither of the two boys asked the mysterious man too many questions. Judging from his demeanour, they were sure they would not get answers. The man did everything slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Even his breathing seemed much slower than normal and he barely spoke at all. There were times Len felt the man's eyes were incredibly distant, hazed over like frost on the window. Other times he just seemed plain confused, as if questioning why he was here in the company of a group of travellers in the first place.

* * *

"There's no food here. Nothing at all, the cupboards are completely empty," said Mikuo as he inspected all the drawers and cupboards of the kitchen. "Weird."

This posed more of a problem than they thought. Everyone was exhausted from their ordeal; they had not eaten since leaving the last port town, and there was no way they could continue in that condition, especially with the snow still falling outside.

"What does the old guy even _eat_?"

It was also highly unlikely shops were in the area. The nearest town had been abandoned long ago and was now a colony of snow mounds. Looking out from the window, there was nothing except whiteness.

They were completely isolated.

Mikuo huffed as he sat back down on the ground. "All that searching's left me even hungrier now…"

The old man turned to the boys, blinked, then shifted his eyes back to the fire to fall into another trance-like daydream.

What could they do? For the time being it seemed they were stuck here.

* * *

Mikuo had not realised he had fallen asleep. He woke up to an uncomfortable sensation on his eyelids, and in his ear drums.

"Wake. Up. Stupid. Mikuo."

Said boy opened his eyes, the intruder on his eyelid was instantly flicked off. It squealed as it made contact with the floor.

"Ouch! Not like that, dumbass!"

"Ah, I haven't heard that annoyingly squeaky voice in a while, Gumi," remarked the boy to the green fairy. "How's Kaito? Awake yet?"

Mikuo was surprised Gumi did not retort to his insult. Instead she furrowed her brows as she cast her eyes downwards.

"Kaito…hasn't woken up…"

Mikuo judged from the dark sky that it had been more than a couple of hours since the old man had saved them. Gumi claimed she was already long awake, and had patiently been sitting by Kaito's side. However, when he did not even shift an eyelid after so long, she became concerned, and consequently woke up the two boys. Len confirmed the man was still breathing, however it was incredibly faint, and his heartbeat was weak.

"This doesn't look too good…is he in a coma or something? His skin is really cold."

Gumi was semi-hyperventilating. "I don't even know how long he's been like this. I can't believe I was just watching him, while this was going on." She started to cry. "I'm a failure of a guardian fairy!"

"G-Gumi! Don't cry…" Len moved to the little fairy's side, but even with both boys trying to comfort her, Gumi did not feel any better at all.

"S-Stupid Kaito," she sniffled, then instantly burst into fresh tears. "W-Why won't you wake up?"

Kaito lay there peacefully, barely moving. His body was frighteningly cold, despite the warm room and the many layers of blankets.

_What's wrong with him?_ Len's multicoloured orbs looked around in frantic confusion. _He feels like ice…_. His gaze shifted from Kaito's peaceful expression, to Mikuo's confused look, to Gumi's tear-streaked face. He glanced left and right. Was the window open? Was there a fan in the room? An air conditioner? Each option seemed more unlikely than the last. After all, Mikuo, Len and Gumi did not feel the least bit cold…

_Maybe there's a draught from the door…_ Blue-green clashed with grey. Len had no idea how long the old man had been standing by the door, observing the trio fuss over Kaito. The old man looked right past the young boy. His hazy eyes concentrated on the unconscious man on the bed…

And he remembered.

* * *

He remembered a horribly bleak and white day. White tresses fanned out onto a white pillow, white skin, paler than the snow outside; an almost deathly pale. Her cold white fingers gripped onto his own bone-like ones. Her lips were also white and chapped. She uttered words, but they disappeared in a white cloud.

_Help._ He had to help.

Len and Mikuo let out startled gasps when the man by the door suddenly turned and fled, the fastest they had ever seen him move. By the time they had registered this, the old man was already outside. The front door was left creaking, inviting in the snow…

_The village is no good._ The village people would not help. The village did not even exist anymore. But one person had seen, and answered to his plight, that day, so many years ago. Sky blue eyes, hair of sunshine… her hands were warm, her smile even more so.

_Don't worry, I'm here to help._

The relentless snow seemed to melt a path for her. She led him up a hill. The very hill he was trudging up now. Two young voices were yelling behind him, but he did not register them.

There was the cave. There was more snow than he remembered. He was knee deep in whiteness. His legs were heavy. He might have lost a slipper. But these were all irrelevant thoughts.

_Inside…_

The bony figure reached the entrance. He began clawing at the snow.

_Must get…inside…_

Whiteness fell and piled up into more whiteness. He scraped and scraped, and finally, an entrance appeared.

_Inside…the…cure…_

The man fell, and was buried by whiteness.

* * *

**Thank you very much for reading :)**


End file.
